Former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, once a regular at the ABA Annual Meeting, was known to say that being a lawyer is not merely a vocation — it is a public trust and each of us has an obligation to give back to our communities.
Indeed, we aren’t strangers to giving back. Pro bono is core to who we are. If you’re inspired to give back, opportunity knocks at the Chicago meeting.
Serve at Annual. Gather together with Young Lawyers at 9 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 2, to mentor youth for a half-day at Polished Pebbles, where underserved girls find skill-building and role models to become tomorrow’s leaders.
Lend a hand on the assembly line on Saturday, Aug. 3, as we organize supplies for The Boulevard, a true lifesaver that provides medical respite for unhoused Chicagoans.
Serve back home. Lady Liberty is calling out to you. A Democracy Summit on Friday, Aug. 2, will offer up ways for us to defend the rule of law in our own backyards. Retired federal judge J. Michael Luttig and Obama’s Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson layout the game plans, developed under their stewardship of an all-star task force.
Help on Election Day is in short supply, and two sessions show you how to step up. “Lawyers Saving Democracy: The Roles Lawyers Can Play in the Election Process” on Thursday, Aug. 1, and “Ensuring Trust in Our Institutions” on Saturday, Aug. 3, make the case to enlist poll workers and share other ways you can serve your hometown ballot box.
Boss up. Become a better advocate. Hear from social justice leaders leveraging innovation to tackle our most pressing concerns, including reproductive rights, immigration and justice reform. Empower yourself with the latest developments for the inside track on new paths to justice.
Rediscover your passion. Don’t forget to help yourself, too. Recharge with inspiration from the best and brightest among us. Emmet Bondurant of Atlanta shows us all how to move mountains using the law on Friday, Aug. 2 at the General Assembly, where he will receive the ABA Medal, our highest honor, for his 50-year commitment to civil rights.
And, before you leave Chicago, motivate yourself to achieve greatness of your own. Reserve your lunch slot on Monday, Aug. 5, for the 2024 Pro Bono Awards, where our role models for outstanding volunteerism get their just due.
This year’s honor roll includes Circuit Court Judge Judith C. Rice, 7th Judicial Sub-Circuit of Cook County, Illinois; Christine McLeod Pate, legal program director, Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault; Fawaz Bham, partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP in Dallas; Adrian Urquhart Winder, partner, Foster Garvey in Seattle; and James Volling, senior counsel, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP in Minneapolis.