President's Letter

Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy

This is a day to appreciate the fact Americans voted in large numbers. As citizens and lawyers, we are thankful for all who exercised their right to vote. We are particularly thankful for the election workers for their efforts to ensure the election was fair and the results are safe, secure and accurate.

Nov 7, 2024 12:07 PM CST

Seeing it

I have been thinking about our association. It’s a wonderful home. Full of history. Tradition. Friends. It’s a familiar place with familiar experiences, faces, acronyms, entities. It’s comfortable. I like it all. But does everyone feel that way?

Oct 1, 2024 3:10 AM CDT

Lawyers must protect democracy now

We are at a defining moment in our country. Over the last four years—most strikingly on Jan. 6, 2021—we have seen violent attacks on our democratic institutions. Make no mistake, we are facing a concerted, strategic campaign to destabilize the electoral process and disenfranchise voters. Threats to public officials and their families have skyrocketed, with threats to federal judges jumping 150% from five years ago.

Aug 1, 2024 2:40 AM CDT

ABA’s fidelity to diversity is unyielding

In this new era, the American Bar Association stands firm: Our dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion is unyielding. Our approach may change, but our goal does not. Because at its core, this is the lifeblood of our organization and our future. Our aim is not merely to adapt—it is to lead by example.

Jun 1, 2024 3:00 AM CDT

The ABA leads way on access to justice

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.

Apr 1, 2024 2:50 AM CDT

AI and the Legal Landscape: Do not fear a zombie apocalypse

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.

Feb 1, 2024 2:50 AM CST

The Power of Convening: ABA’s legacy and continued impact of convening minds and shaping progress

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.

Dec 1, 2023 2:50 AM CST

A code of ethics is necessary to restore trust in the Supreme Court

“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.

Oct 1, 2023 3:50 AM CDT

Diversity of Viewpoints: Civility turns down heat, increases light to attain results

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.

Aug 1, 2023 3:00 AM CDT

Civil legal aid shrinks the justice gap and makes the court system more equitable

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.”

Jun 1, 2023 2:50 AM CDT

Law Day Lessons: Civility, collaboration remain the answer to a better society

“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.”

Apr 1, 2023 3:30 AM CDT

Gideon at 60: The right to a lawyer was established, but the promise of equal justice remains elusive

“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.”

Feb 1, 2023 3:00 AM CST

Our Civic Sacrament: Voting and the people who make the process work must be protected and respected

“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.

Dec 1, 2022 2:50 AM CST

Agree to Disagree: Civics, civility and collaboration can guide us to a better society

“‘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.

Oct 1, 2022 2:50 AM CDT

Congress needs to enact legislation and provide funding to ensure the safety of our judges

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.

Aug 1, 2022 2:40 AM CDT