<Tr> <Th> Key people </Th> <Td> Jack L. Rives, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Website </Th> <Td> americanbar.org </Td> </Tr> <P> The American Bar Association (ABA), founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States . The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation of model ethical codes related to the legal profession . The ABA has 410,000 members . Its national headquarters are in Chicago, Illinois; it also maintains a significant branch office in Washington, D.C. </P> <P> The ABA was founded on August 21, 1878, in Saratoga Springs, New York, by 75 lawyers from 20 states and the District of Columbia . According to the ABA website, </P>

What is the purpose of the american bar association