Report From the ABA Midyear Meeting
By Happy April All!
As the new Young Lawyer Delegate to the American Bar Association (ABA) House of Delegates, I would like to take this opportunity to provide an overview of the resolutions considered during February’s Midyear Meeting of the ABA House of Delegates in San Antonio, Texas.
The ABA House of Delegates serves as the policymaking body of the ABA. The House is responsible for drafting, debating and voting on resolutions that shape ABA policies regarding both professional and public matters. It represents not only various constituent groups within the ABA but also the broader legal profession, including delegates from state, local, and specialty bar associations. As the ultimate governing authority of the ABA, the House is committed to advancing the legal profession by addressing issues of significance to the legal community and to the law itself. The ABA maintains active policies across a diverse range of topics pertinent to the legal field, many of which have been central to the Association’s advocacy for many years.
The 2026 Midyear Daily Journal is available online if anyone would like to review every resolution and the final action taken. Though several resolutions have a direct impact on members of the YLD, below is a list of those resolutions that I have hand selected as they were either presented by the ABA Law Student Division and the ABA YLD or they relate to young lawyers:
- Resolution 401 — I spoke in support of this resolution and spoke on my own personal experience as a Commercial Litigation Attorney who receives requests that are often related to trusts and estates, such as to draft wills and power of attorney forms for family members, church members, and more. Additionally, I described my experience in Trusts and Estates at NCCU Law taught by Professor Dorothy Nachman as one that wasn’t always “fun,” but one that is used on a regular basis in my life. I am happy to share that this resolution was adopted. It urges the National Conference of Bar Examiners to include Trust and Estate Law as a Foundational Concept and Principle on the NextGen bar exam; and urges state, territorial, and tribal bar admission authorities to consider adding subjects such as Trust and Estate Law that are not covered as Foundational Concepts and Principles in the NextGen bar exam.
- Resolution 504 — This resolution was adopted and urges the Executive Branch and loan servicers to resume accepting and processing student loan forgiveness applications, periodic employment and income recertifications and repayment plan change requests for all borrowers engaged in eligible government and public sector employment.
- Resolution 505 — This resolution was adopted and supports a series of positions addressing past, present and future challenges to the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
The ABA House of Delegates convenes twice each year in conjunction with the ABA Annual Meeting and Midyear Meeting. During the meetings, the ABA Young Lawyers Division has its YLD Assembly — the highest policy-making group in the ABA YLD. At the YLD Assembly, you can have your voice heard and help shape the legal profession by drafting and presenting proposed resolutions, debating the issues, and ultimately voting to adopt or reject the proposals. The YLD Assembly Resolutions that are adopted at the YLD Assembly become YLD policy, and some can end up being before the ABA House of Delegates for consideration to become a larger ABA policy. I attended the YLD Assembly, and it was a great experience!
While North Carolina only has one designated young lawyer seat in the ABA House of Delegates, we have several seats at the YLD Assembly, providing more opportunities for you to participate. Please note that we will discuss the resolution-making process in more detail and collect ideas for proposed resolutions at our next council meeting. The 2026 ABA Annual Meeting will be held in Chicago, Illinois, this year from July 29th through August 4th. For more information about ABA meetings, the House of Delegates or the YLD Assembly, feel free to reach out to me or to Collins Saint.
Chazle’ N. Woodley serves as the ABA Young Lawyer Delegate to the American Bar Association House of Delegates.