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Buzz English represents Kentucky Bar Association at ABA meeting
by Mandy Hicks
Attorney Buzz English served as a delegate representing the Kentucky Bar Association during the House of Delegates meeting at the American Bar Association meeting in August. During the two-day meeting, the organization considered many resolutions and issues involving justice in the U.S. There are 601 delegates who vote on matters at the annual meeting, representing bar associations and attorneys across the country.
Among the measures passed by the House of Delegates were:
- A resolution urging Congress Tuesday to add courthouses to the “sensitive locations” list that guides immigration enforcement of undocumented workers.
- A resolution that supports the principle that undocumented law students should not be denied bar admission solely because of their immigration status.
- A resolution reaffirming the ABA’s opposition of a half century to mandatory minimum sentences. The resolution’s language indicates that minimum sentences limit a judge’s flexibility.
- A resolution reaffirming its opposition to restructuring the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, one of 13 in the federal appellate system. Legislation has been proposed in Congress to split up the circuit.
- Several resolutions related to the juvenile justice system, including pushing to address the problem some juveniles face if they are trapped in both child welfare and criminal justice systems concurrently. The resolutions also encouraged courts to allow teens to be released while pending trial without paying bail, as the system of paying bail penalizes those who do not have the means to pay. Another resolution would prohibit using solitary confinement for anyone under the age of 18.
Buzz has long been involved with the ABA, and has served as a delegate previously. “In my daily work, I don’t often get the chance to step back and consider the larger issues in law,” Buzz says. “The House of Delegates meeting gives the legal community a voice in the justice system, and a way to re-examine practices and operations. We have an opportunity to think about how matters should be handled, and to make recommendations. I’m glad that we have the opportunity to do this.”
Buzz also has been appointed to the ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund Raising Committee, which raises money for diversity scholarships within the ABA.
About Buzz English
Charles E. “Buzz” English Jr. is a partner and attorney at ELPO. He served as President of the Kentucky Bar Association from 2009 to 2010 and has held many other leadership positions in his community and across Kentucky.
His extensive legal career has centered around business litigation. Buzz has represented both international and domestic manufacturers in products liability litigation involving farm machinery, automobiles, industrial equipment and household products. He has represented both contractors and owners in court and in arbitration proceedings involving construction disputes, and has represented businesses, individuals and insurance companies in coverage and bad faith litigation. He has also handled appeals in both federal and state court and is a life member of the Judicial Conference for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
