Since its inception, ABA Day has stood as the association's flagship annual advocacy event, convening hundreds of lawyers, judges, and legal professionals to engage directly with Congress on the most pressing justice issues of the day. In recent years, ABA Day has evolved beyond Capitol Hill to become a hybrid event capable of mobilizing the profession nationwide. At the heart of this evolution is ABA Day Online, which will return on April 9, 2025, as the most expansive and interactive digital advocacy event in ABA history.
ABA Day Online has been designed not as a secondary component but as a central pillar of the ABA's advocacy strategy. This year, the event will serve as a launching pad for both in-person meetings happening on Capitol Hill and in-district meetings taking place during the April congressional recess. For the hundreds of ABA members who cannot travel to Washington, ABA Day Online provides the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to our collective advocacy efforts from their offices and homes.
The program will feature a 90–120-minute digital broadcast filled with live and pre-recorded programming crafted to engage, educate, and activate advocates. Attendees will hear directly from Members of Congress—Republicans and Democrats alike—who are leading efforts on issues critical to the legal profession and access to justice. In addition to elected officials, viewers will hear from ABA leadership, national policy experts, and leaders from within the profession.
The program will focus on five priority advocacy issues:
- Protecting and Strengthening Funding for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC): Advocates will push for strong FY2025 funding for LSC to help meet the overwhelming need for civil legal aid and disaster legal services, a need intensified by recent natural disasters and rising complexity of legal challenges.
- Judicial Security: ABA advocates will urge Congress to establish a State Judicial Threat Intelligence and Resource Center to better protect state and local judges amid rising threats and intimidation.
- Judicial Vacancies: ABA members will advocate for the authorization of additional district and circuit court judgeships and for the expedited filling of existing vacancies to alleviate growing backlogs and restore timely access to justice.
- Section 199A Pass-Through Deduction: Advocates will urge Congress to renew and expand the 199A deduction to ensure that law firms and other professional service businesses are treated equitably within the tax code.
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF): Participants will help gather real-world stories illustrating the program’s role in sustaining vital public service legal positions and protecting PSLF from detrimental changes.
Importantly, ABA Day Online is not a passive event. Attendees will actively participate in advocacy throughout the program using the ABA’s Quorum-powered Congressional Messaging Portal. With just a few clicks, participants will send personalized messages to their Senators and Representatives, track legislation, share personal stories, and even upload advocacy videos. This dynamic interaction ensures that online participants directly contribute to shaping policy discussions in real time alongside their colleagues meeting on Capitol Hill.
Adding further depth to the day, the program will conclude by kicking off a series of micro-advocacy breakout sessions hosted by ABA Sections, Divisions, and Forums. These smaller, focused digital events will cover a variety of issues, including:
- Disaster Legal Services led by the ABA Young Lawyers Division.
- Digital Replicas and AI in Intellectual Property presented by the ABA Intellectual Property Law Section.
- Tax Fairness and Small Business Advocacy from the ABA Section of Taxation.
Each of these sessions will recommend targeted advocacy actions utilizing Quorum’s tools and will offer participants additional opportunities to engage Congress on policy matters important to their areas of expertise.
With hundreds expected to participate, ABA Day Online 2025 will deliver a powerful, united message to Congress: the legal profession is mobilized, engaged, and committed to protecting justice and the rule of law. Whether watching from Washington, or their hometowns across the country, ABA members will leave the event empowered and ready to advocate.