MacCRATE OUTLINES HIS GOALS: New ABA president de-emphasizes international roleAuthor(s): Paul MarcotteSource: ABA Journal, Vol. 73, No. 12 (OCTOBER 1, 1987), p. 20Published by: American Bar AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20759523 .

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MocCRATE OUTLINES HIS GOALS New ABA president de-emphasizes international role

The transition of ABA presi dents from Eugene C. Thomas to Robert MacCrate is, in part, a study in contrasts. Where Thomas placed greater emphasis on the ABA's inter national role, MacCrate is more fo cused on domestic issues, saying there is "much to be tended to at home."

Where Thomas ripped the Iran contra hearings as an "I-Love-Lucy

comedy," MacCrate suggested the hearings were valuable in letting the public know what happened "so that when we look at our government, we can see where things fall short." He also said the hearings gave the public an "awareness of just how vital it is to operate with accountability."

Where Thomas called for major reform of the legal profession, in cluding a special conference to deal with public dissatisfaction with the legal system, MacCrate has a "gen erally more optimistic view" of the profession. He indicated his initial re action is that a special conference is unnecessary because numerous ABA committees are already looking into ways to improve the system.

At a news conference at the An nual Meeting, MacCrate outlined his general goals in broad strokes. He stressed three themes?the orga nized bar's responsibility to the profession, its responsibility to the justice system, and its responsibility to the public.

In addressing those themes, MacCrate said, "My objective is to ad vance the perception and the reality of the law as a learned and a caring profession of service."

MacCrate will also be seeking ways to convey to the public the im portance of supporting and main taining an independent judiciary.

"We must attack the underfUnd ing of the justice system and the all too common inadequacy of compen sation for judicial service. In a dem ocratic society, justice can never be done on the cheap," said MacCrate.

Another concern is the availa bility of lawyers to the public. "I will focus on the ultimate responsibility of the legal profession to assure the availability of competent lawyers

wherever and whenever one is needed," said MacCrate.

Regarding the availability of lawyers, the new ABA president placed special emphasis on the rights of the individual. "My thesis is that in a free society, the individual is the focus of our law, and it's what sepa rates a free society from a collective society. ... The individual under the rule of law should prevail."

In commenting on the ABA's Standing Committee on Federal Ju diciary's review of Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork, MacCrate said the ABA committee does not con sider political or ideological philoso phy of a judge "except to the extent that extreme views on such matters

might bear upon judicial tempera ment or integrity."

On another issue, MacCrate said he supports the ABA's agreement with the Association of Soviet Law yers. "I don't think anything that can hold out hope ... of reducing tensions and making advances in respect to human rights is something we should turn our backs on." ?Paul Marcotte

ABA President Robert MacCrate seeks to "ad vance ...the real

ity of the law as a learned and caring profes sion."

Eugene Thomas

20 ABA JOURNAL / OCTOBER 1, 1987 abaj/uw?s Saule

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