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American Bar Association Teaching Bitcoin to Lawyers

Last Updated March 4, 2021 4:43 PM
P. H. Madore
Last Updated March 4, 2021 4:43 PM

The American Bar Association, the premier organization to which most American lawyers belong, is offering a one-day event in June teaching about Bitcoin and other digital currencies.

The program will analyze the latest events in regulatory compliance and law enforcement efforts directed at digital currency. The panel will explore what regulators and law enforcement officials are focused on, and the different types of enforcement mechanisms employed on both the state and federal levels.

Not Just for Lawyers

The program is being offered to the general public, not just members of the bar association or lawyers. The cost for a member of the general public to attend is between $515 and $745, depending on when one signs up for the event that takes place at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, DC on June 26th. There are discounted rates for Bar members.

Specifically, there are heavier discounts for bar members in the criminal law and business law sections, presumably because their attendance is expected to be the most. Meanwhile, representatives of government agencies will pay the least to attend, between $325 and $425, depending on when they register. Bitcoin is not listed as a payment option.

Representatives from Bitcoin Industry on Faculty

The event’s faculty includes John Beccia from Circle, Jerry Brito from the Washington, DC Coin Center, and James Morgan from Second Market. Interestingly, no members of the Bitcoin Foundation are explicitly identified as speaking at the event while representatives from the DOJ law section and the FBI will be. Likewise, the three major Bitcoin payment processors, BitPay, Coinbase, and BitNet, are all absent from the bill.

The third panel at the event is described as such:

The digital currency landscape is increasingly being shaped by enforcement actions.  Every month, federal and state regulatory and law enforcement agencies create new precedent that leaves a seemingly immutable imprint.  This panel of government and industry experts will explain recent enforcement actions and provide insight into how new and old laws are being applied in the digital currency space.  The experts also will offer their insights on the future direction of enforcement actions and how they may impact the various players in the digital currency space.