A new congress brings new advocacy opportunities
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The 119th Congress has been gaveled to order, bringing with it new opportunities to advance the interests of the legal profession. The ABA is already communicating with the Trump administration, new and returning members of Congress, and agency officials to introduce our association and focus their attention on important issues like access to justice and the rule of law.
What can you do to help?
Get involved. While the ABA focuses its advocacy primarily at the national level, “all politics is local,” and members of Congress need to hear from their constituents at the local level. Your senators and representatives are getting settled in their Capitol Hill offices, so now is the perfect time for you to connect with them to build new relationships, solidify existing ones and offer your help on issues they may encounter in the coming months.
How do you get started?
There are several ways to open communication, with the easiest being to introduce yourself over email. Contact your elected officials’ Washington, D.C., or state district offices to schedule an in-person or online meeting. They need the perspectives of subject-matter experts and constituents as they form their legislative agendas for the 119th Congress.
Reach out to their staffs and introduce yourself to them too. Some will be new; others will have years of experience. Either way, congressional staffers are the experts who inform members of Congress on matters of interest to the legal profession, and they have the ears and respect of their bosses. Offer to help them with issues you are familiar with and send them information so they can get up to speed quickly on issues within your expertise. This is a terrific way to establish your credibility as a resource for them.
How can the GAO team help?
We have information you can use to make an impact, including congressional biographies, one-pagers, talking points and resources on diverse issues that you can provide to your contacts on the Hill. Criminal justice reform, judicial independence, the confidential attorney-client relationship and funding for civil legal aid are just some of the enduring advocacy issues for the legal profession for which we can provide help. We can also identify relevant information or introduce you to ABA experts on emerging issues like data privacy and artificial intelligence to support your outreach.
Use the QR code on the next page to visit our Grassroots Action Center and access tools focused on familiarizing you with the new Congress. There you will find a template for an introductory email you can personalize and send to your members of Congress in minutes. While on the site, join our Grassroots Action Team and add your voice to our collective outreach on advocacy campaigns as legislative opportunities emerge.
As you build relationships with your members of Congress and their staff, add your name to our key contact list so you can function as a resource to your elected officials or agency representatives while advancing ABA-supported policy issues. Knowing about your relationships will help GAO provide you with periodic updates and support on issues you need to cultivate your relationships actively.
Have questions or need resources? Contact GAO at [email protected]. We are here to support you as you take action to support the association and your profession.
The ABA recognizes that government funding, immigration reforms and potential investigations will monopolize the government’s agenda during the 119th Congress. However, we will monitor developments and remain vigilant to identify opportunities to advance more issues important to our ABA members and the legal profession.
You can also sign up for our monthly Washington Letter (a digital newsletter) and follow @ABAGrassroots on X and LinkedIn to stay abreast of relevant legislative and governmental developments as they happen.
ABA advocacy benefits ABA members, legal professionals and others who want to be heard in Washington. In the 119th Congress, the ABA will continue our vigorous efforts to protect the profession, the courts, individual liberty, civil rights and the rule of law. We will do so with commitment and enthusiasm—and, we hope, with your participation.
This story was originally published in the February-March 2025 issue of the ABA Journal under the headline: “New Congress, New Advocacy Opportunities.”
This report is written by the ABA Governmental Affairs Office and discusses advocacy efforts by the ABA relating to issues being addressed by Congress and the executive branch of the U.S. government.
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