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Lawyers play pivotal role fighting tyranny, says incoming ABA President-elect Michelle Behnke

By Danielle Braff

August 6, 2024, 11:43 am CDT

How many attorneys does it take to combat tyranny and injustice?

The answer, ABA President-elect Michelle Behnke said, is a room swarming with caffeinated, enthusiastic lawyers. This powerful group, which assembled Tuesday morning on the final day of the ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago, heard Behnke reference Shakespeare’s oft-quoted Henry VI and its exhortation to “kill all the lawyers.”

But that quote, often repeated as an insult to the profession, actually is about the need eliminate lawyers in order to overthrow those in power.

“This storyline actually speaks to the pivotal role lawyers play in upholding the rule of the law and the threat that lawyers pose to tyranny and injustice,” said Behnke, former treasurer of the ABA. “It’s a recognition of the power of the legal profession to defend the rights of the people and safeguard justice.”

That’s because a strong group of attorneys advances and protects the law—and the ABA is and will continue to be the power behind those efforts, she said. But in order to continue advancing and maximizing their potential, the ABA needs to implement strategies outlined in its recently adopted strategic plan.

The plan must be implemented by a blend of individual ABA members, ABA entities and professional staff led by ABA Executive Director Alpha Brady—and it needs to be crafted with the goal of preparing for the future of the profession, which includes the future of AI, and issues of poverty, immigration, diversity and inclusion, and more.

The ABA will need to recruit and connect with more lawyers, Behnke said, which will require better telling the ABA’s story and explaining how the organization can empower attorneys across the country.

“Now more than ever, we must work collaboratively to welcome more lawyers and deliver on their wants and needs,” Behnke says.

Follow along with the ABA Journal’s coverage of the 2024 ABA Annual Meeting here.

Many lawyers join the ABA because they want to improve their legal skills, want to work with an influential organization or perhaps want to be leaders in the field, Behnke said. The good news, she added, is the ABA can help with all of the above—and more—through skill-building assistance, legal publications, various ABA conferences and CLEs.

“The ABA can satisfy each of these desires,” she said.

Telling the story about the ABA’s work and bridging the gap to nonmembers will strengthen the association. After all, Behnke said, lawyers won’t join the ABA if they don’t know the details of who the association is and how it can help. “Now, more than ever, we must work collaboratively to welcome more lawyers and deliver on their wants and needs.”

In July 2026, the United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence—a time for celebration and fireworks but, more importantly, a moment to “redouble our commitment to the rule of law, equal justice and an independent judiciary that safeguards our independence and freedoms,” Behnke said. The ABA should do its part by teaching and reminding the public about their constitutional rights to ensure justice for all, she says.

“We as lawyers are often best when we teach, and this anniversary celebration will give us plenty of opportunities to teach about our democracy and what the rule of law really means,” Behnke said.

The law, Behnke says, is the basis upon which our rights are constructed. She said leadership is a team sport and a partnership, and when it works together, the ABA will help the legal system flourish.

“Just as Shakespeare knew,” she said with a smile.