History and Importance of the Rule of Law

This White Paper was intended to provide background for the Task Force on ABA Goal VIII's Final Report regarding the meaning and the historical development of the "rule of law" (both as an idea and as practiced), and to provide a critical analysis of previous rule of law reforms, discuss the benefits of reforms and the difficulties encountered by reformers, and suggest lessons to be considered as the American Bar Association moved forward with its Rule of Law Initiative.