The 2024 ABA Annual Meeting was held in Chicago, Illinois, from July 31-August 6, 2024. The event was mostly held at the Hyatt, with affiliate hotels such as Swissotel, and the Fairmont hotel available for attendees. Judge Michelle Childs from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit was the featured speaker at the Judicial Reception that kicked off the entire event. While I was not able to attend that portion, I met with several judges and attorneys who attended and updated me. There I also met with the President of the National Bar Association, and the well-known Ms. Paulette Brown, the former President of the American Bar Association.

As part of the ABA Young Lawyers Division Council, we were able to enjoy a private bowling party prior to our council meeting the next day. There, many of the leaders such as myself, who led the Men of Color Project, were able to discuss strategies and tactics to achieve our goals that we set at the beginning of the year.

At the delegate meeting there were resolutions reviewed and voted on that included such issues as to how we protect the personal information of those in the legal profession. Many of us have personal information online that could lead to harmful interactions with disgruntled clients, or in a prosecutor’s case, disgruntled defendants released or still incarcerated with the ability to do harm outside of their confinement. Overall, the time was well spent as we learned of the similarities and differences of what is occurring in other parts of the country. We learned how some issues can be resolved easily with communicating with neighboring locales; or that some issues, regardless of location, are systemic. Lastly, the passing of the gavel from Tamara Nash to the new ABA YLD President was special for me as Ms. Nash re-instated the Men of Color Project after an unnecessary hiatus, then appointed me as the Chair.         

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Darnell T. Barton is the current SBM YLS Treasurer as well as a Criminal and Civil Rights Attorney at Barton Law, PLLC.