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re + | , e &. PAGE 4 LEVEL 1 ~- 139 OF 164 STORIES Copyright 1984 The Washington Post The Washington Post July 17, 1984, Thursday, Final Edition SECTION: First Section; At4 LENGTH: 575 words HEADLINE: U.S. Appeals Judge to Curb ABA Role; . Conservative Group Had Complained Of Ethics Violations by Mikva —— BYLINE: By Ed Bruske, Washington Post Staff Writer BODY: U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Abner J. Mikva, one of the court: s leading liberals, has agreed to curtail his activities. as chairman of an American Bar Association committee after a conservative lobbying group complained that Mikva had violated judicial ethics. The arrangement restricting Mikva's role as chairman of the ABA's Individual Rights and Responsibilities section was reached without a formal investigation by the court, and no ruling was made on judicial misconduct allegations brought by the Washington Legal Foundation. Chief Judge Spattswood W. Rabinson III said in a decision issued June 24 that Mikva had agreed ta discontinue his involvement in recruiting new members for the section but would remain as its chairman until his one-year term expires. next month. The foundation, which has been involved in numerous conservative efforts on issues affecting the judiciary, complained that Mikva's activities with the group “compromised the impartiality of his judicial office.” -Mikva's efforts to recruit dues-paying members to the ABA, the foundation arqued, "created a strong appearance of impropriety” under general. prohibitions — .. - against judges soliciting funds. A lawyer for the foundation, George C. Smith, said yesterday that-officials gs there were “partially pleased“ with the outcome of the complaint but were still ‘ considering whether to appeal Robinson's decision. The foundation had asked that Mikva be forced to resign as section chairman. "The point we were stressing is that there is a problem when one who is sitting as a federal judge is taking an active Leadership position as chairman of a group with controversial positions on sharply divided issues," Smith said. “We think that certainly presents a problem as far as the appearance of impartiality." The Individual Rights and Responsibilities section of the ABA has been a Strong advocate of civil rights legislation as well as federal programs supporting legal assistance for the poor and disadvantaged. It is one of more than 20 ABA national committees focusing on specific areas of legal interest. EXIS:NEXIS@= LEXIS-NEXIS LEXIS: NEXIS =~ “AV 74D ‘vices of Mead Data Central, Inc.