WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2018 — The American Bar Association is committed to an independent, impartial judiciary that is free from political influence. An independent, impartial judiciary is critical to upholding our democracy and our system of government. We agree with Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts’ observation that we do not have “Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges,” and that an “independent judiciary is something we should all be thankful for.”
Disagreeing with a court’s decision is everyone’s right, but when government officials question a court’s motives, mock its legitimacy or threaten retaliation due to an unfavorable ruling, they intend to erode the court’s standing and hinder the courts from performing their constitutional duties.
As we celebrate this Thanksgiving holiday, let us all count our blessings as Americans – free speech; free press; an independent, impartial judiciary; and the ability of every person in our country to stand up and speak out in favor of the rule of law.
With more than 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is one of the largest voluntary professional membership organizations in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law. View our privacy statement online. Follow the latest ABA news at www.americanbar.org/news and on Twitter @ABANews.