The American Bar Association is deeply saddened by the passing of its former president, R. William “Bill” Ide III of Atlanta, Georgia, on July 8, and offer our condolences to his family and friends.
Ide served as ABA president from 1993-1994, on the ABA Board of Governors from 1987-1990 and in the ABA House of Delegates for 12 years as an Assembly delegate. Most recently, he was vice chair of the ABA Task Force for American Democracy.
As ABA president, Ide focused on strengthening judicial integrity, expanding legal access and reforming legal ethics to ensure the legal system served the public and not political or financial interests. One of his core missions was ensuring that the judiciary remained independent. He believed that when courts lose their impartiality, they lose public trust and then democracy itself is at risk. During his leadership, the ABA launched initiatives to protect judges from political pressure and judicial interference, and he advocated for transparent and fair legal processes to maintain public confidence in the courts.
Ide’s presidency also focused on expanding access to justice through alternative dispute resolution (ADR). He promoted arbitration and mediation as solutions for civil cases, reducing court backlogs while advocating for pro bono services to ensure legal aid reached underserved communities. He strengthened the ABA’s commitment to legal ethics and responsibility, ensuring lawyers prioritized public service over financial gain. As a young lawyer, he was one of the founders of Georgia Legal Services, which focused his interest on expanding access to justice.
Another significant achievement was hosting the 1993 ABA Summit on Justice Reform, which brought together legal leaders, judges and policymakers to discuss how the profession could adapt to better serve modern society. Ide was invested in building a more ethical legal profession. Under his leadership, the ABA implemented stricter guidelines on lawyer advertising and client transparency. He pushed for reforms to ensure lawyers prioritized ethical decision-making over profit-driven incentives and addressed racial and social bias in the justice system, laying the groundwork for future ABA diversity initiatives. His presidency also set the stage for his later global rule of law work, including CEELI and international legal reform and serving as chair of the ABA Rule of Law Initiative from 1997-2009.
Ide’s tenure as ABA president and his subsequent work has had a lasting impact on the association. His initiatives, including ADR expansion, judicial ethics protections and legal access reforms, have become the standard for the justice system. His lifelong dedication to ethics, judicial integrity and access to justice has had a profound effect on the legal profession. His commitment to democracy and the rights of individuals has made our country better.
After graduating from the University of Virginia School of Law, Ide began his legal career clerking for Judge Griffin Bell at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit during the civil rights movement. He saw firsthand how important the rule of law was to democracy and individual rights. He later entered private practice in Atlanta and became a partner at several Atlanta-based law firms. His work focused on corporate law, public finance and governance, helping businesses and institutions navigate legal and ethical challenges. After his term as ABA president, Ide moved into corporate leadership, becoming general counsel, senior vice president and secretary of Monsanto.
“Bill Ide was dedicated to a fair and just legal system,” current ABA President William R. Bay said. “He was a passionate advocate for judicial independence and access to justice for all. He had a love and respect for democracy and defended it both at home and around the world. We will miss him.”
Ide served as ABA president from 1993-1994, on the ABA Board of Governors from 1987-1990 and in the ABA House of Delegates for 12 years as an Assembly delegate. Most recently, he was vice chair of the ABA Task Force for American Democracy.
As ABA president, Ide focused on strengthening judicial integrity, expanding legal access and reforming legal ethics to ensure the legal system served the public and not political or financial interests. One of his core missions was ensuring that the judiciary remained independent. He believed that when courts lose their impartiality, they lose public trust and then democracy itself is at risk. During his leadership, the ABA launched initiatives to protect judges from political pressure and judicial interference, and he advocated for transparent and fair legal processes to maintain public confidence in the courts.
Ide’s presidency also focused on expanding access to justice through alternative dispute resolution (ADR). He promoted arbitration and mediation as solutions for civil cases, reducing court backlogs while advocating for pro bono services to ensure legal aid reached underserved communities. He strengthened the ABA’s commitment to legal ethics and responsibility, ensuring lawyers prioritized public service over financial gain. As a young lawyer, he was one of the founders of Georgia Legal Services, which focused his interest on expanding access to justice.
Another significant achievement was hosting the 1993 ABA Summit on Justice Reform, which brought together legal leaders, judges and policymakers to discuss how the profession could adapt to better serve modern society. Ide was invested in building a more ethical legal profession. Under his leadership, the ABA implemented stricter guidelines on lawyer advertising and client transparency. He pushed for reforms to ensure lawyers prioritized ethical decision-making over profit-driven incentives and addressed racial and social bias in the justice system, laying the groundwork for future ABA diversity initiatives. His presidency also set the stage for his later global rule of law work, including CEELI and international legal reform and serving as chair of the ABA Rule of Law Initiative from 1997-2009.
Ide’s tenure as ABA president and his subsequent work has had a lasting impact on the association. His initiatives, including ADR expansion, judicial ethics protections and legal access reforms, have become the standard for the justice system. His lifelong dedication to ethics, judicial integrity and access to justice has had a profound effect on the legal profession. His commitment to democracy and the rights of individuals has made our country better.
After graduating from the University of Virginia School of Law, Ide began his legal career clerking for Judge Griffin Bell at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit during the civil rights movement. He saw firsthand how important the rule of law was to democracy and individual rights. He later entered private practice in Atlanta and became a partner at several Atlanta-based law firms. His work focused on corporate law, public finance and governance, helping businesses and institutions navigate legal and ethical challenges. After his term as ABA president, Ide moved into corporate leadership, becoming general counsel, senior vice president and secretary of Monsanto.
“Bill Ide was dedicated to a fair and just legal system,” current ABA President William R. Bay said. “He was a passionate advocate for judicial independence and access to justice for all. He had a love and respect for democracy and defended it both at home and around the world. We will miss him.”
