Otherwise: ALI responds to Tobacco Control Center Criticism
ALI President Roberta Ramo and Director Lance Liebman have posted The ALI’s Response to the Center for Tobacco Control Research & Education, 98 Iowa L. Rev. Bull 1 (2013).
Laposata, et al. called for the ALI to adopt a policy of interest disclosure similar to that of the National Academies: “Until the ALI adopts and enforces meaningful, effective, and transparent conflict of interest policies, their work should not be taken without question as unbiased authoritative documents worthy of reliance by our courts and legislatures”.
The ALI leaders reply
“An ALI rule [4.03] tells members to “leave our clients at the door,” and it is a point of honor among members that we state what we personally believe to be right, not what our clients want us to say. But it is equally important that we make certain that all significant points of view are represented and explained.”
Unlike the NAS, the ALI does not have any policies that require a good faith effort to appoint members without conflicts of interest to serve as Reporters, Advisors, or in the M[embers] C[onsultative] G[roups], nor does it have any policies that prevent these individuals from having a decision-making role.
Professional Responsibility: A Contemporary Approach 