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March 28, 2024

Join us for ABA Day 2024

Amplify Your Advocacy Online

This year’s ABA Day's activities will unfold in person on Capitol Hill, at meetings in home districts, and through online messages and phone calls.

This year’s ABA Day's activities will unfold in person on Capitol Hill, at meetings in home districts, and through online messages and phone calls.

As the legal community gears up for ABA Day 2024, we once again take note of how best to communicate our advocacy messages to a Hill that is inundated with requests. This year, we will be raising our voices jointly online and in Washington, as we look to influence legislation surrounding legal aid and federal defender funding.

Save Your Seat for the ABA Day 2024 Online broadcast happening April 10.

This year’s ABA Day's activities will unfold in person on Capitol Hill, at meetings in home districts, and through online messages and phone calls nationwide – and every advocate’s voice matters! That's why our Governmental Affairs Office (GAO) has developed a comprehensive digital program to engage advocates wherever they may be. Even those attending in-person DC or home district meetings can join our digital advocates online to amplify the ABA’s advocacy using our tools and resources.

In recent years, the ABA has demonstrated the power of digital advocacy by engaging thousands of dedicated supporters to advance legislative priorities. Despite the temporary closure of congressional buildings to the public during COVID, our advocacy efforts continued unabated, with multiple digital events rallying support for critical issues such as judicial security, funding for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), and student debt relief.

Members will once again be employing these effective techniques, and you can find all your available tools in the ABA Day Toolkit, complete with pre-formatted emails and patch-through phone calls with scripts on our Congressional Messaging Portal. And since messages sent through the Portal are guaranteed to make it through congressional firewalls, we will be using this to schedule follow-up emails, as well, to take our advocacy to the next level. We also have a robust ABA Day Social Media Center that we are continuously updating with suggested posts, images, infographics, and more that you can use to take the discussion to the public forum by tagging your members of Congress.

The 118th Congress has finally passed budgets for this fiscal year and is ready to tackle other pressing issues, giving ABA Day participants an invaluable opportunity to unite in person with national, state, and local bar leaders to champion causes vital to the legal profession. In-person constituent meetings give ABA Day participants the opportunity to influence policy on both fronts, in person and online.

Our focus during Capitol Hill visits is on robust federal funding for LSC during its 50th anniversary and on adequate FY 2025 funding for federal defender programs. By April 10th, advocates using our digital tools will also find advocacy campaigns involving student debt relief and closing a loophole that prevents confidential attorney-client communications from occurring online in federal prisons.

For those eager to take action ahead of ABA Day, there is no need to wait. By scheduling your letters to elected officials now and emphasizing the importance of robust funding for LSC, advocates can lay the groundwork for impactful advocacy during the week of ABA Day. Personalizing messages with your own stories adds depth and resonance, amplifying our influence on lawmakers in Washington.

Curious to learn more? Visit our ABA Day page to register for this year's events and stay updated on developments both on the Hill and online. Follow us on Twitter @ABAGrassroots for real-time updates and opportunities to engage with fellow advocates.

Remember, the strength of our advocacy lies in the collective voice of the legal profession. Whether advocating in person or leveraging digital platforms, each contribution plays a crucial role in shaping policies that uphold justice and equality. Together, let's harness the power of advocacy to drive meaningful change during ABA Day 2024 and beyond.

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