In a time of deep division, escalating distrust in our democratic institutions and increasing incivility in public discourse, ABA President Deborah Enix-Ross recently noted, “The legal community has the resources and ability to meet the challenges that confront the nation.”
We know you’ve been talking about this for some time, and some of you are already putting the Cornerstones of Democracy Conversation Guide into real-world practice. Below, we share some of these initiatives and elevate these efforts as we collectively tackle ongoing challenges to democracy.
Cornerstones of Democracy Resources
Examples of state and local bar programming that foster civil discourse in our communities
Community Dialogue
Working alone or with community partners, bars around the country are seeking to engage in dialogue within their membership, the legal profession and their local communities.
- The San Diego County Bar Association’s Exchange on Equity Roundtable program explores the intersection of race and justice to better promote anti-racism within the legal profession and beyond.
- The Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association’s Hot Talks is an opportunity for the open, civil exchange of ideas and viewpoints across a vast array of subjects—both for bar members and the community at large. Topics include redistricting, the Great Resignation and Ohio schools, among others.
- The Louisville Bar Association’s Open Community Forum on Cash Bail was designed to bring community members and leaders in the legal profession together to discuss the current state of the cash bail system and ideas to change it for the better.
- The Dallas Bar Association hosts and provides the majority of the facilitators for "Together We Dine," a series of dinners where diners engage in courageous and safe conversations about race relations.
Community Meets Judges: Judicial Election Resources
Judicial forums allow the legal profession to engage in dialogue with the community. Rather than a debate, these forums are an opportunity to ask questions and learn about the court system and the rule of law as well as the qualities and qualifications of individual judge candidates.
- The Cincinnati Bar Association's Judicial Forum provides voters the opportunity to hear about candidates’ experience, judicial philosophy, and plans for the court.
Other state and local bars partner with community organizations; for example:
- The Oakland County (Mich.) Bar Association Judicial Candidate Forum is co-convened with the Detroit Free Press and the League of Women Voters of Oakland Area.
- The Kentucky Bar Association partners with 11 other community organizations to hold judicial forums.
- The Ohio State Bar Association, in response to poor participation in judicial elections, created a new resource website, Judicial Votes Count, to educate the public on why judicial elections are important and what voters need to know. The OSBA partnered with the Ohio Association of Broadcasters and the Ohio News Media Association.
Innovating and Prioritizing Through Bar Leadership
Programming starts with prioritizing and agenda setting by leadership.
- 2021 Chicago Bar Association President E. Lynn Grayson led by launching an umbrella organization to formalize all DEI community work through a new initiative called Diversity Inclusion Culture and Equity (DICE).
- Massachusetts Bar Association President Grace V.B. Garcia is emphasizing the importance of "Communication, Collaboration and Community" within the legal profession during her 2022-23 tenure.
Educational Programs/Speaker Series
Educational programs may or may not offer CLE credit, and may be for members only or open to the public. They are designed both to inform and inspire action on the part of the participants.
- The Constance Baker Motley Speaker Series on Racial Inequality was established by the Connecticut Bar Association and Connecticut Bar Foundation as an ongoing forum for the legal community to explore issues of racial inequality and systemic racism. Topics include criminal justice, education, health care, housing, voter suppression, political equality, employment, access to credit, business ownership, and more.
- The Chicago Bar Association periodically presents public education programs for both lawyers and members of the public. These programs are on a range of topical, timely issues.
- The San Diego County Bar Association’s Dialogues on Diversity offer attendees the opportunity to learn from industry leaders on cutting-edge topics.
- The Columbus Bar Association's Community Conversations are open to the public and feature subject matter experts from the legal community. Previous topics have included elections and voting, race and the criminal justice system, and more.
- The Cincinnati Bar Association and the Black Lawyers of Cincinnati’s Round Table is a comprehensive five-year program to simultaneously address diversification of the legal profession and community leadership.
- The Indiana State Bar Association's Open Conversations: Lessons from Leaders in DEI are monthly discussions on shared experiences, perspectives, journeys, and challenges, and what we can all do to make positive changes in the world.
- To reach previously untapped audiences, the Ohio State Bar Association has generated new digital content to further its mission to educate the public and advance the rule of law. For example, because of the difficulty of getting into schools, the OSBA went straight to students. Through research, the bar found that students didn’t identify with “civics,” but did want to know things like how to interact with the police. On its website My Ohio Rights, the bar put together some short videos. Now, schools and students are coming to the website, which has already had 3 million views.
Other bars are enticing lawyers to programs focused on community dialogue and civics by offering CLE credit:
- The Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association has offered CLE such as Beyond the Vote: Uplifting Communities Through Civic Engagement and the Importance of the Ohio Constitution.
- Throughout 2022, the Ohio State Bar Association has offered a free online CLE course called How to Have a Difficult Conversation About Race.
- The Connecticut Bar Association is encouraging its members to learn more about preserving the integrity of the American election system in its CLE course Rule of Law: The Integrity of the American Election System.
Other ABA Resources
The ABA Center for Bar Leadership may be your main ABA "home," but there are many other resources available to you throughout the organization.
- The ABA’s Defending Democracy initiative is another place for bars and their members to educate themselves on ways to support a free and fair electoral process and uphold the rule of law.
- For potential talking points, see the ABA Defending Justice essay series.
- The 2023 Law Day Planning Guide from the ABA Division for Public Education offers a wealth of resources on the Cornerstones of Democracy theme.
- That same division also offers Insights on Law and Society Magazine, specifically for social studies teachers but with content that is more broadly applicable as well.
- The ABA Division for Public Education has collaborated with the Chicago chapters of the Federalist Society and the American Constitution Society on a series of civil debates entitled Civil Disagreements. The first two debates, hosted by Illinois for Reform, were on Originalism and Supreme Court Reform.