As well as offering practical help to the families of victims of the US tragedy, and supporting those lawyers whose practices have been affected, the American Bar Association (ABA) has begun work on the legal implications of anti-terrorism measures which might be introduced in the US, writes Neil Rose.It has named a task force of experts in diverse areas of the law to offer counsel to the country's political leaders as they consider legislation.

The task force on terrorism and the law began its work at once a fortnight ago.ABA president Robert Hirshon said: 'We need to make sure the mechanisms exist that will permit prompt and effective investigation and prosecution of those responsible for these heinous acts, while at the same time ensuring we preserve the fundamental principlesof our system of constitutional law.'However, he made it clear that US citizens may have to give up some of their jealously guarded civil liberties: 'We need to address quickly as a nation difficult and complex issues involving electronic surveillance and wiretapping, computer encryption, immigration procedures, etcetera.

As a country, we need to be ready for inconveniences, restrictions and possibly a loss of some liberties, experiences to which we are unaccustomed.

There are sacrifices we will need to make because we must find and deal with the terrorists.'The task force has been charged with examining all law-related policy issues implicated in the terrorist attacks, assess existing ABA policy on these issues, determining what revisions are needed or additional areas should be addressed, and bringing policy recommendations to the ABA board of governors for its consideration.'We will have a thoughtful basis for all policy recommendations we make to federal leaders on these critical matters,' Mr Hirshon said.The task force chairman, Robert Clifford, is a specialist personal injury lawyer who runs his own firm in Chicago.

He was recently voted one of the best lawyers in America by his peers in the lastest edition of a US publication.