This August, the Governmental Affairs Office (GAO) will join thousands of attorneys at the ABA Annual Meeting in San Francisco, CA to discuss policy matters potentially impacting the legal profession, now and in the future. GAO will meet with ABA entities and members to discuss current federal topics, relay the latest updates from Capitol Hill, and show legal professionals of all backgrounds how they can make the most impact in their environment.
As the eyes and ears of the legal profession in Washington, the GAO team attends the ABA Annual Meeting to update members and gain policy insights on what’s important to them to help inform the ABA’s advocacy efforts. This year, we are excited to increase GAO’s visibility at the meeting to show as many legal professionals as possible how they can get involved in current advocacy campaigns and have their voice heard on Capitol Hill.
We will have several new opportunities for ABA members to meet with members of the GAO team, both in person and online. For example, we have a new ‘pop-up’ style information center that will be positioned at relevant events during the meeting. The pop-up will include at least one member of the GAO team and feature a bank of tablets to highlight new GAO advocacy tools that members can use to improve their skills. Visitors will be able to work personally with our staff to learn how to do things in their spare time to meaningfully take action and how to stay informed on the issues facing the profession. Come lend your voice to amplify the ABA’s advocacy and make a genuine difference in the process.
Of course, sometimes the best way to get up to speed on the issues is by grabbing a policy expert and diving in. Many of the GAO team will be traveling to San Francisco with the main goal of connecting with members and updating relevant entities on the latest developments from Capitol Hill. On August 9th, GAO will be part of a panel discussion with the Law Library of Congress to teach members how to conduct legislative research and to use that information effectively in their advocacy work. Among other events, GAO will also be present during meetings held by:
The Criminal Justice Section; Health Law Section; Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources (SEER); Section of Intellectual Property Law; Business Law Section; Dispute Resolution Section; Young Lawyers Division; Judicial Division; General Practice and Solo and Small Firm Division; Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants; Standing Committee on Natural Disaster and Preparedness; Standing Committee on Armed Forces Law; Cybersecurity Legal Task Force; Commission on Immigration; Commission on Homelessness and Poverty; ABA Coordinating Committee on Veterans Benefits and Services; and the IOLTA Commission.
We look forward to seeing ABA members and guests at these and other events in San Francisco. We will also be engaging with members from around the country on social media all week long. Follow us on Twitter (@ABAGrassroots) to get the latest updates from the event, and stay tuned to our Social Media Center for more details and ways you can get involved remotely, including a campaign aimed at the federal officials traveling back to their home districts for August Recess.
Need to find a GAO staff member or want to visit a GAO pop up site at Annual? Please contact GAO’s Director of Grassroots & Digital Advocacy Eric Storey at eric.storey@americanbar.org for more information or assistance.