"Public service is the defining and proud calling of our profession . . . . As leaders in your profession and in your communities, you will have opportunities to stand up to injustices, and to defend the civil liberties and freedoms that the Constitution guarantees to all of us. Do not turn your back on those opportunities, even if they place you in the center of controversy. Embrace them. The American people look to lawyers to protect their freedoms. If you do not protect their rights, who will? The role of the lawyer has never been more important than it is today. You must be the champions of individual rights, the protectors of our Constitution, the defenders of justice and freedom, the trustees of our justice system. Never forget that."
Michael S. Greco, University of Akron School of Law Commencement Address, 41 AKRON L. REV. 337, 345 (2008). Retrieved 6/20/24 from: Kerew, Kendall (2024) "The Rule of Law, The Lawyer’s Role as a Public Citizen, and Professional Identity: How Fostering the Development of Professional Identity Can Help Law Schools Address the Crisis Facing American Democracy," Mercer Law Review: Vol. 75: No. 5, Article 6.
Former Federal Judge Michael Luttig explains why the American Bar Association and its members are uniquely obligated to lead the efforts in bolstering trust in American democracy and in the rule of law.
By volunteering to join our team of lawyers, legal professionals, and community leaders, you will play a critical role in bolstering trust in our democracy and the rule of law.
Learn about how lawyers can help through our Q&A below, or let us know how you'd like to be involved.
We are looking for attorneys who are willing to speak up and speak out about the importance of upholding the rule of law, defending the Constitution, and protecting democracy in their communities.
Get creative and use your personal and professional networks. The ABA Task Force is relying on its volunteers to identify most speaking opportunities.
There might be occasions when a specific subject matter expert is needed to speak at an event. In those cases, state leaders will match the event's need with a speaker in our database.
Speaking engagements can be events that the speaker was invited to participate in, or that the speaker requested to participate in.
Other important information about speaking engagements:
While there are no set rules or required topics, speakers frequently address the following:
If you are not sure what best suits your audience, we are happy to help figure that out.
Yes. While it is helpful to speak on a topic that you are familiar with, expertise is not a requirement.
The ABA Democracy Task Force offers speakers resources including templates, downloads, links, talking points and other information to help build an effective presentation.
If there is a topic you need additional resources for, we are happy to help you find them.
Modeled after the ABA's Listening Tours that are being held across the country, each state's Democracy Task Force will be happy to share toolkits and resources to help facilitate planning such events.
Community conversations are larger scale events that are coordinated or planned by an ABA Task Force volunteer. These events feature multiple speakers and might address multiple topics. Audiences for these events might be comprised of a wider variety of participants.
Speakers' bureau events are typically hosted by another organization with participation from an ABA Task Force volunteer.
Planning a community conversation is more involved than speaking at an event that someone else has planned, but with proper planning and coordination in advance, it should not feel like a burden.
Best practices for these events are for volunteers to identify and coordinate with larger law firms, law schools, universities, or similar organizations with like interests and with the resources to host and plan the event.
Law schools and schools with degrees or programs in election administration, democracy and citizenship, and related subject areas tend to be excellent partners for these events as they can typically engage students in the planning process, as well as providing a venue and speakers.
If you need help identifying a potential partner in your area, please let us know.
The Task Force will create two types of Rapid Response Teams: (a) a national one comprised of Task Force members; and (b) local ones potentially in all 50 states comprised of lawyers, retired judges and district attorneys, law school deans and community leaders. The Rapid Response Teams will provide real-time public responses to emerging or potential threats to American democracy, to free and fair elections, and to the rule of law as they arise on both national and local levels during the lead up to the counting of electoral college votes on January 6, 2025
ABA Task Force for American Democracy
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