Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker calls on ABA to uphold 'freedom, liberty, fairness'
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is a longtime ABA member. (Photo by Mitch Higgins/ABA Media Relations)
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker told the ABA House of Delegates Monday their role in protecting the American system of jurisprudence has never been more important.
“What makes the legal profession such a noble pursuit is that it is fundamentally about public service,” said Pritzker, who addressed the House at the ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago. “As attorneys, it’s our responsibility to our fellow Americans to not just engage in the competition and adjudication of each case, but to uphold the values that our broader American principles were built on: freedom, liberty, fairness.”
Pritzker—a potential running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign—was elected the 43rd governor of Illinois in 2018 and reelected in 2022. A member of the ABA, he earned his law degree from Northwestern University in 1993. He is also a prominent business leader and philanthropist in Chicago.
Pritzker jokingly told the House he is a lawyer because “of some genetic defect in my family,” which goes back three generations. His great-grandfather, grandfather and father also were attorneys.
“All kidding aside, we are proud of our heritage, rooted in standing up for the law,” he said. “That’s why I’m so deeply concerned about the increasing threats to the rule of law and to our democratic norms, an ever-shifting media landscape that regularly attacks our legal system with disinformation and a retrenchment of civil rights and disrespect for equality under the law.”
Gov. J.B. Pritzker delivered the opening address for the House of Delegates, who are meeting in Chicago. (Photo by Mitch Higgins/ABA Media Relations)Pritzker said he is grateful the ABA exists because its members are committed to advocating for legal issues and concerned about how they affect people’s lives. He also noted they stand up for people who are too frequently the victims of inequities in the legal system and maintain high standards for the justice system.
“Throughout our history, we have too often seen injustice prevail under the color of law, and there are not two sides to this,” Pritzker said. “Unfortunately, politics these days sometimes obscure the difference between right and wrong.”
Follow along with the ABA Journal’s coverage of the 2024 ABA Annual Meeting here.
Pritzker added that it’s the “people in this room” who can help shape the direction of the country.
The House, the association’s policymaking body, meets during the ABA’s annual and midyear meetings to discuss and debate matters of importance to the legal profession and society. At this year’s annual meeting, its members are considering more than three dozen resolutions and amendments.
The 2024 ABA Annual Meeting runs July 31 to Aug. 6.
