The ABA Task Force for American Democracy unveiled a letter signed by more than 100 deans from America’s law schools concerning the training necessary for the next generation of lawyers to sustain our constitutional democracy and the rule of law.
June 24, 2024 Top Legal News of the Week
Law school deans release joint letter in defense of democracy
In their letter, the educators affirm their commitment to preparing legal advocates to uphold democracy and the rule of law. The message articulated by the deans urges students to champion the Constitution and the rule of law through avenues such as clinical work, public education and advocacy and it makes a commitment on the deans’ part to teach our nation’s law students to disagree respectfully, be open to others’ arguments and engage across partisan and ideological divides.
“Today, our nation and world are at an inflection point,” ABA President Mary Smith said. “At home and around the globe, autocrats and dictators threaten the rule of law. Our democracy is under strain. A fundamental cause of this crisis lies in the fact that many of our citizens are not educated on the rule of law and the basic principles of our democratic republic.”
Smith created the ABA Task Force for American Democracy last August and said the group “is embarking on a widespread effort to improve civics education to reconnect U.S. citizens with our democracy, the rule of law and basic human rights principles.”
The deans’ letter comes amidst ongoing challenges. A recent Gallup poll reveals that only 28% of U.S. adults express satisfaction with the state of democracy in the country. But a more positive trend finds that young people are interested in joining the legal profession. In 2022, 116,723 students enrolled in juris doctorate programs, according to the ABA Profile of the Legal Profession released last year.
“The nation’s law schools play a critical role in training the next generation of lawyers and upholding the core values of our profession,” remarked Heather K. Gerken, Yale Law School dean and member of the task force. “Through our joint efforts as outlined in this letter, we hope to set an example for our students as we prepare them to carry our democracy forward.”
Task Force Co-Chair Jeh Johnson, former Secretary of Homeland Security, said, “This is not a partisan political issue. It is Rule of Law 101. The next generation of lawyers must understand the challenges we face, take the torch we pass to them and continue the hard work to safeguard our democracy."
ABA Task Force Co-Chair J. Michael Luttig, a retired federal judge, stressed the legal profession’s importance in the process. “Lawyers are uniquely qualified and uniquely obligated by oath to support and defend America’s democracy and rule of law and they are being called to lead. They must answer this call.”