This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Legal Services Corp., the United States’ largest funder of civil legal aid. With a current congressional appropriation of $560 million, the LSC funds 131 independent legal aid programs with more than 800 offices serving every state and the U.S. territories. The American Bar Association was critical to the LSC’s creation.
As lawyers and members of the ABA, we must not abandon our responsibility to guide this moment, as artificial intelligence’s transformative potential holds great promise and peril for every sector, especially the legal profession.
The word “convening” carries with it an intrinsic potency. From that initial assembly to today, the ABA has exemplified the power of bringing thoughtful minds together to achieve consensus and drive transformative change.
“Trust in our institutions of government is a central tenet of our democracy. As lawyers, we are acutely aware that our democracy depends on faith in our court systems. … As members of the American Bar Association, it is our duty to safeguard and further our nearly century-long commitment as national leaders in defining the parameters of legal and judicial ethics,” writes ABA President Mary Smith.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan said at her 2010 confirmation hearing: “What I’ve learned most is that no one has a monopoly on truth or wisdom. I’ve learned that we make progress by listening to each other, across every apparent political or ideological divide.” It is especially important for the legal profession to promote and accept diverse viewpoints as it works to bridge the polarization and erosion of trust in our democratic institutions.
The ABA has been a committed supporter of the Legal Services Corp. from its inception as well as all forms of civil legal aid. “Equal justice under law is not merely a caption on the façade of the Supreme Court building,” Justice Lewis Powell said in a 1976 speech to the ABA. “It is perhaps the most inspiring ideal of our society. It is one of the ends for which our entire legal system exists.”
“As the legal community prepares to celebrate Law Day on May 1, we should look back on why this day exists,” writes ABA President Deborah Enix-Ross. “Law Day dates to the days of the Cold War, more than 60 years ago. … Today, as we struggle as a nation that often seems divided, Law Day is even more important.”
“Most Americans believe that access to an attorney during criminal proceedings is a foundational right in our country. But the right to have an attorney provided by the government has not always existed. Until 60 years ago, indigent defendants who could not afford an attorney had to defend themselves in court. But on March 18, 1963, that all changed. The U.S. Supreme Court rendered one of its most famous decisions in the case of Gideon v. Wainwright.”
“The American Bar Association is committed to fixing this growing problem of the erosion of election confidence. Through its Standing Committee on Election Law, the ABA, in a nonpartisan fashion, examines ways to improve the federal electoral process to permit the broadest, least restrictive access for all eligible Americans to the ballot box and to ensure all votes are counted,” writes ABA President Deborah Enix-Ross.
“‘Agree to disagree’ is what lawyers do around negotiation tables every day. We do it in mediation, in arbitration and in courtrooms after a judge has heard both sides and issued a ruling. ‘Agree to disagree’ is what we should do in the big tent that encompasses the diversity of membership in the American Bar Association,” writes ABA President Deborah Enix-Ross.
A free, fair and unbiased judiciary is essential to the rule of law and a properly functioning democracy. But judges cannot do their jobs effectively if they are under attack or feel their families are being threatened.
“The American Bar Association is constantly working to enhance the integrity and public perception of the electoral process in a nonpartisan fashion with policies promoting consistent and fair ballot-counting and a reduction in wait times to vote,” says ABA President Reginald Turner. “We all need to be confident that our votes matter. We all must work to preserve access to the ballot box for all who are eligible. We must keep the right to vote ‘the crown jewel of American liberties.’”
“World leaders getting a degree in the law should not be surprising. Many in key positions in corporations or media and many other professions have studied law. Leading a country is just another area in which the skills attained in law school can be beneficial,” writes ABA President Reginald Turner. “Our nation’s law schools have played and will continue to play their role, particularly when it comes to training foreign lawyers and educating potential world leaders. It is an often overlooked but vital component of U.S. efforts to foster an adherence to the rule of law throughout the world.”
“Diversity, justice and equality are vitally important to our nation’s health. That’s why diversity, equity and inclusion are among the American Bar Association’s core goals. For attorneys, a professional obligation exists to pursue justice and equality, especially for vulnerable populations. And volunteering for pro bono work is one of the most fulfilling ways to do this.”
Graduating from law school and starting a legal career should be an exciting and hopeful time. But for far too many, student debt causes apprehension and struggle.
The ABA Journal wants to host and facilitate conversations among lawyers about their profession. We are now accepting thoughtful, non-promotional articles and commentary by unpaid contributors.
