Latest & Greatest – The ABA Cybersecurity Handbook: A Resource for Attorneys, Law Firms, and Business Professionals

Edited by Jill D. Rhodes and Robert S. Litt

Published by American Bar Association. Cybersecurity Legal Task Force.

KF 318 .A7518 2017

Photo Credit: Helen Hartman

The Law Library’s newest addition to its Legal Tech Collection is The ABA Cybersecurity Handbook. Sponsored by the ABA’s Cybersecurity Legal Task Force, The ABA Cybersecurity Handbook strives to provide attorneys and business professionals with an overview of the many aspects of cybersecurity and some practical considerations in the event of a cyber breach. 

The book begins with some background for aid in understanding a cybersecurity threat and its attendant risks. The writers provide examples of the most common threats and how law firms can address them. There is also an explanation of the cyber network, its organization, and potential threats, and how defensive systems work and respond to perceived threats. There is a discussion of the lawyer’s obligation to provide data security under the ethics rules and ABA formal opinion 477R and some advice as to when the lawyer should discuss the issue of cybersecurity with her client. The book concludes with some best practices for becoming prepared through international business community management system series of standards and the international information security management system series of standards. The authors also address the cyber-related challenges faced by large law firms, solo practitioners and small firms, in-house counsel, government lawyers, and public interest attorneys. 

No one is immune from the increasing number of cyber threats and breaches and the confidential data that can be targeted in these attacks. The cost of being prepared is minimal compare to the cost of corrupted data and loss of trust. The ABA Cybersecurity Handbook can help you become better prepared.

Other titles on this topic include: Encryption Made Simple for Lawyers, Locked Down: Practical Information Security for Lawyers, and Technology Tips for Lawyers and Other Business Professionals.

Latest & Greatest – NonProfit Law: A Practical Guide to Legal Issues for Nonprofit Organizations

Edited by Willard L. Boyd III

Published by American Bar Association. Business Law Section. Nonprofit Organizations Committee

KF 1388 .N66 2017

Based on a series of webinars sponsored by the American Bar Association’s Nonprofit Organizations Committee, NonProfit Law: A Practical Guide to Legal Issues for Nonprofit Organizations aims to provide attorneys who may be called upon to advise or to serve on the board of a nonprofit organization with some practical information about legal issues that they may encounter while acting in that capacity. The authors begin with some basic questions that the attorney should consider, such as the form of the nonprofit, the organization’s tax status, any regulatory oversight, and the existence of alternatives to the nonprofit’s organizational scheme. The remaining chapters address the formation of the nonprofit, tax issues relating to nonprofits, governance of the nonprofit, and miscellaneous matters that may arise during the representation of the nonprofit.

The chapter dealing with the formation of the nonprofit discusses the structures that nonprofits may take, the various types of nonprofit corporations, and the organizational documents needed to create the nonprofit. The authors then move onto the issue of taxation. What are the common types and classifications of tax exemptions? How does one apply for tax-exempt status? Are there any annual forms that need to be filed with the IRS? (Hint: yes!) Now, what about governance? The authors provide an overview of the individuals that are involved in governing the organization, the fiduciary duties that are imposed upon directors as well as any liabilities directors may face, and board policies. Lastly, the authors set out some other issues that may arise relating to subsidiaries, mergers and sales of assets, and dissolution.

The appendices also have a lot of useful information, such as guidance for drafting articles of incorporation and bylaws, a tax-exempt organization reference chart, and a list of nonprofit resources.

If you are an attorney faced with providing advice to a nonprofit but have no experience doing so, have a look at NonProfit Law: A Practical Guide to Legal Issues for Nonprofit Organizations.

Remembering 9/11: National Archives 9/11 Commission Records

Today, we remember the tragedy of the terror attacks that fell the World Trade Center Towers in New York City on September 11, 2001. As nearly two decades have passed, the details of the day may have faded from memory even as the pain suffered by those who lost loved ones as the towers fell stings just as sharply. Preservation of the details to remind us of this pivotal event in American history is, therefore, important.

The job of investigating the details was originally assigned by Congress (see Pub. L. 107-306) to the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, which became known as the 9/11 Commission. The records generated by the investigation are now entrusted to the National Archives, which makes the details of the day forever committed to our nation’s memory.

Find more information about the 9/11 Commission Records at https://www.archives.gov/research/9-11.