Supreme Court directs Bar to end ABA House appointments
The Florida Supreme Court has directed The Florida Bar to stop appointing delegates to the ABA’s House of Delegates, citing concerns about alignment with the Bar’s core mission.
In a June 12 letter to Bar leadership, Chief Justice Carlos G. Muñiz — writing on behalf of the court, excluding Justice Jorge Labarga — expressed concern that participation in the ABA’s policymaking body could entangle the Bar in contentious political or policy debates.
“As you know, The Florida Bar's core mission is to assist the Court in regulating the legal profession in Florida,” Chief Justice Muñiz wrote. “Florida Bar members are a large group with diverse views. To stay focused on its mission, and out of respect for its members, the Bar strives to avoid entangling itself, even indirectly, in contentious policy debates. The Bar's practice of making appointments to the ABA's House of Delegates is inconsistent with that goal.”
Muñiz requested that The Florida Bar:
- Immediately cease appointing representatives to the ABA House of Delegates;
- Rescind or withdraw current appointments (noting that individuals may still seek appointments through other channels); and
- Amend Standing Board Policies 1.40 and 1.41 to reflect this change.
The ABA House of Delegates, described on its website as the association’s “policymaking body,” adopts resolutions that shape its positions on a wide range of professional and public issues. The Florida Bar, an arm of the Florida Supreme Court, maintains a longstanding policy of political neutrality in furtherance of its regulatory mission.
