ABA Task Force to Combat Antisemitism plans to issue a report in August 2025
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association presidential Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, which was appointed by ABA President Mary Smith in April, is mobilizing the nation’s lawyers and others to combat the growing trend of antisemitism in the U.S.
The task force plans to issue a report in August 2025 “describing the extent and immediacy of the issue and efforts undertaken by the profession to address and ameliorate instances of antisemitism and provide a path of redress,” said Barbara Mendel Mayden, co-chair of the task force.
“Antisemitic violence and hate rise in times of social and political unrest, so it is no surprise that antisemitic episodes in America doubled between 2017 and 2022, and has quadrupled again since then,” said task force co-chair Mark Schickman. “Our task force’s job is to mobilize the ABA, other bars and more than a million American lawyers to stand up to the epidemic of antisemitic hate and bias in communities throughout the country.”
Toward that end, the task force has established working groups in the areas of:
• K-12 education
• Civic and higher education
• Facilitation of programming within the ABA, within the judiciary and with other bar associations, nationally and internationally
• Resources for law firms to raise awareness of antisemitism internally and within their communities
• Monitoring and developing legislation and public policy
• Outreach to other stakeholders, governmental entities and national organizations providing expert resources and expertise
In February 2023 at the ABA Midyear Meeting, the ABA House of Delegates adopted a policy condemning antisemitism. Since the adoption of that resolution, FBI Director Christopher Wray testified that antisemitism in the United States has climbed to historic levels, noting that “for a group that represents only about 2.4% of the American public, [Jewish people] account for something like 60% of all religious-based hate crimes.”
The ABA Board of Governors voted to create the task force in February.
Earlier this year, Schickman moderated the webinar “How to be an Anti-Antisemite: Responding to the Growth of Antisemitism in 21st Century America,” which provided a wealth of resources on the topic of antisemitism.
Schickman also hosted a CRSJ section Chair Chat with the University of California Berkeley School of Law Dean and Jesse H. Choper Distinguished Professor of Law Erwin Chemerinsky on Antisemitism and Free Speech: Civil Rights and the Supreme Court.
The ABA Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice established a 21-Day Practice on Combating Antisemitism, with the goal for each of us to augment our awareness, empathy, compassion and determination to stand for religious freedom.
“America’s lawyers can be a powerful counterweight to the lies and malice which fuel the current rise in antisemitism,” Mayden and Schickman said. “This task force is working to support, expand and facilitate that important role of standing firm for truth and justice.”
(https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/ 2024/07/aba-task-force-to-com bat-antisemitism/)
The American Bar Association presidential Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, which was appointed by ABA President Mary Smith in April, is mobilizing the nation’s lawyers and others to combat the growing trend of antisemitism in the U.S.
The task force plans to issue a report in August 2025 “describing the extent and immediacy of the issue and efforts undertaken by the profession to address and ameliorate instances of antisemitism and provide a path of redress,” said Barbara Mendel Mayden, co-chair of the task force.
“Antisemitic violence and hate rise in times of social and political unrest, so it is no surprise that antisemitic episodes in America doubled between 2017 and 2022, and has quadrupled again since then,” said task force co-chair Mark Schickman. “Our task force’s job is to mobilize the ABA, other bars and more than a million American lawyers to stand up to the epidemic of antisemitic hate and bias in communities throughout the country.”
Toward that end, the task force has established working groups in the areas of:
• K-12 education
• Civic and higher education
• Facilitation of programming within the ABA, within the judiciary and with other bar associations, nationally and internationally
• Resources for law firms to raise awareness of antisemitism internally and within their communities
• Monitoring and developing legislation and public policy
• Outreach to other stakeholders, governmental entities and national organizations providing expert resources and expertise
In February 2023 at the ABA Midyear Meeting, the ABA House of Delegates adopted a policy condemning antisemitism. Since the adoption of that resolution, FBI Director Christopher Wray testified that antisemitism in the United States has climbed to historic levels, noting that “for a group that represents only about 2.4% of the American public, [Jewish people] account for something like 60% of all religious-based hate crimes.”
The ABA Board of Governors voted to create the task force in February.
Earlier this year, Schickman moderated the webinar “How to be an Anti-Antisemite: Responding to the Growth of Antisemitism in 21st Century America,” which provided a wealth of resources on the topic of antisemitism.
Schickman also hosted a CRSJ section Chair Chat with the University of California Berkeley School of Law Dean and Jesse H. Choper Distinguished Professor of Law Erwin Chemerinsky on Antisemitism and Free Speech: Civil Rights and the Supreme Court.
The ABA Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice established a 21-Day Practice on Combating Antisemitism, with the goal for each of us to augment our awareness, empathy, compassion and determination to stand for religious freedom.
“America’s lawyers can be a powerful counterweight to the lies and malice which fuel the current rise in antisemitism,” Mayden and Schickman said. “This task force is working to support, expand and facilitate that important role of standing firm for truth and justice.”
(https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/ 2024/07/aba-task-force-to-com bat-antisemitism/)
ABA releases comprehensive book outlining analyses, and strategies to deal with artificial intelligence
The American Bar Association will release “Artificial Intelligence: Legal Issues, Policy, and Practical Strategies” on July 26. The book was created through a collaboration between the presidential ABA Task Force on Law and Artificial Intelligence and the ABA Science & Technology Law Section. Contributors to the book will be on hand at a special reception at the ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago on Thursday, Aug. 1, from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Fairmont Hotel Cuvee Room.
The book arose from the work of the AI Task Force, an initiative launched by ABA President Mary Smith to address critical legal and law practice issues arising from rapid adoption of generative AI and other AI technologies. Smith noted that “This book is essential reading for lawyers of all practice areas and takes a comprehensive look at the ways AI is transforming the legal profession and the ramifications from its use. This book not only provides critical information from a wide range of experts but can serve as a roadmap and resource for lawyers, judges and executives on how to navigate this complex technology in this rapidly evolving area.”
The book features contributions from more than 40 preeminent authorities offering practical strategies, legal analysis and reflections on the influence that AI will have on both the legal profession and the law. According to Lucy Thomson, chair of the AI Task Force and principal of Livingston PLLC: “We created this book as a resource on a wide range of critical issues concerning AI and the law. AI will require lawyers and judges to understand how AI works, how it is developed and used, what advantages it can bring, the risks it can create and the legal and ethical issues that will arise.”
Thomson served as co-editor of the book with Cynthia Cwik, vice chair of the AI Task Force and a former litigation partner with Jones Day and Latham & Watkins LLP, and Christopher Suarez, a SciTech officer and partner with Steptoe LLP who practices in its Intellectual Property and AI, Data and Digital groups.
AI is transforming our world and the practice of law at a rapid pace. AI has the potential to improve many aspects of legal practice, including increasing the speed at which tasks can be done and boosting productivity. Yet AI also presents significant challenges, including the need to protect confidential client information, establish governance frameworks to ensure accuracy and mitigate privacy, security and intellectual property risks.
Over the past year, the ABA AI Task Force has presented programs on both the promise and peril of using AI technologies in the law. SciTech, in its 50th year, is a leading voice within the ABA on emerging technologies, including AI.
(https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/ 2024/07/aba-book-strategies-artifi cial-intelligence/)
The book arose from the work of the AI Task Force, an initiative launched by ABA President Mary Smith to address critical legal and law practice issues arising from rapid adoption of generative AI and other AI technologies. Smith noted that “This book is essential reading for lawyers of all practice areas and takes a comprehensive look at the ways AI is transforming the legal profession and the ramifications from its use. This book not only provides critical information from a wide range of experts but can serve as a roadmap and resource for lawyers, judges and executives on how to navigate this complex technology in this rapidly evolving area.”
The book features contributions from more than 40 preeminent authorities offering practical strategies, legal analysis and reflections on the influence that AI will have on both the legal profession and the law. According to Lucy Thomson, chair of the AI Task Force and principal of Livingston PLLC: “We created this book as a resource on a wide range of critical issues concerning AI and the law. AI will require lawyers and judges to understand how AI works, how it is developed and used, what advantages it can bring, the risks it can create and the legal and ethical issues that will arise.”
Thomson served as co-editor of the book with Cynthia Cwik, vice chair of the AI Task Force and a former litigation partner with Jones Day and Latham & Watkins LLP, and Christopher Suarez, a SciTech officer and partner with Steptoe LLP who practices in its Intellectual Property and AI, Data and Digital groups.
AI is transforming our world and the practice of law at a rapid pace. AI has the potential to improve many aspects of legal practice, including increasing the speed at which tasks can be done and boosting productivity. Yet AI also presents significant challenges, including the need to protect confidential client information, establish governance frameworks to ensure accuracy and mitigate privacy, security and intellectual property risks.
Over the past year, the ABA AI Task Force has presented programs on both the promise and peril of using AI technologies in the law. SciTech, in its 50th year, is a leading voice within the ABA on emerging technologies, including AI.
(https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/ 2024/07/aba-book-strategies-artifi cial-intelligence/)
ABA names 22 Unsung Heroes of American Democracy
American Bar Association
The ABA Task Force for American Democracy has named 22 individuals and organizations as recipients of the Unsung Heroes of Democracy Award. The awardees include eight organizations and 14 individuals, including five election officials, who significantly advanced the cause of protecting American democracy across the nation.
“Our democracy and our election process have been under attack in recent years,” ABA President Mary Smith said. “With our Unsung Heroes of Democracy Award, the ABA wants to recognize those individuals and groups that have answered the call to stand up for our system of government.”
President Smith will present the awards in Chicago during the Democracy Summit luncheon at the ABA Annual Meeting on Friday, Aug. 2.
Organizational winners are:
• Arizona Native Vote Election Protection Project. For more than 10 years, this group has coordinated “get out the vote” campaigns and election protection efforts in response to disparities in voting in Arizona that placed a unique burden on Native American voters.
• Braver Angels. Launched in 2016, the organization brings together people of varying political perspectives not to compromise their deepest convictions but to find one another as citizens. Through its depolarization programming, including workshops, debates, campus engagement and other offerings, Braver Angels helps Americans understand each other beyond stereotypes.
• Center for Election Innovation & Research. The center is known for its nonpartisan work with election officials of both parties, conducting research, coordinating pro bono legal defense for election officials under threat of harassment and advocating for best practices that have tangibly improved our elections.
• Committee of 70. The group is recognized for its defense of the rights of voters, advocacy for electoral reforms, promotion of transparent and accountable government and fostering of a culture of civic responsibility and democratic resilience in our communities.
• Equip for Equality. This organization is known for its partnership with the Chicago Board of Elections to improve voting access for people with disabilities at each of Chicago’s more than 1,200 polling places. As part of this work, Chicago has gone from having nearly 850 inaccessible precinct polling places in 2016 to less than 90 in 2024.
• Keep Our Republic. It is recognized for supporting election workers, lawyers and everyday citizens who stand up for democracy, protect against unconventional threats facing our election system and advance ways to help strengthen citizen trust in our electoral system.
• New York City Bar Association Task Force on the Rule of Law. The task force’s work, programming and relationships with numerous institutions in metropolitan New York have been a beacon of hope and action for lawyers and the American public to support democracy and build the rule of law.
• North Dakota Native Vote. The organization stands out as the only statewide organization in North Dakota that works to build power for North Dakota’s Native communities by ensuring Native voices are included in the processes that affect their daily lives. From advocating for equal access to polling places to challenging discriminatory voter ID laws, North Dakota Native Vote has been at the forefront of the fight for electoral justice.
—————
Individual winners
• Bob Bauer and Ben Ginsberg (Washington, D.C.). Although political law adversaries for 40 years, the two joined forces after the 2020 election to create and co-chair two nonprofits designed to help election officials. The Election Official Legal Defense Network connects election officials in need of advice or assistance with licensed, qualified pro bono. The Pillars of the Community program seeks to bolster public faith in elections by engaging a politically diverse group of civic leaders with election officials to discuss the operation and integrity of the electoral process.
• Katherine Culliton-González (Silver Spring, Maryland). As a civil rights attorney, her unwavering dedication to fair elections, democracy and the rule of law has had a profound, positive impact in her community.
• Gent Haviari (Dartmouth, New Hampshire). Haviari is honored for his leadership in civic engagement at UMass Dartmouth throughout his academic career. Most notably, he has served as coordinator of the UMassD Votes Coalition, which helps recruit undergraduate students, graduate students and law students on campus to work together to increase voter turnout.
• William J. Kresse (Chicago, Illinois). Kresse has provided remarkable leadership as one of three members on the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, valuable teaching and research on fraud examination, auditing and accounting and innovative guidance in founding the Institute of Election Auditors.
• Michael Stiegler (Washington, D.C.). As an officer in the Situation Room during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, he epitomizes the essence of the Unsung Heroes of Democracy Award as one of the thousands of career civil servants who do their jobs every day behind the scenes to keep our republic safe and secure.
• Christine Torbett (Columbus, Ohio). For many years, she has volunteered as a poll worker to make sure the elections in her community are free and fair. She has demonstrated the impact that one everyday citizen can have when it comes to defending our democracy.
• Suzanne Spaulding (Washington, D.C.). Spaulding has dedicated her career to work in the critical areas of democracy building, education about the rule of law and threats to our democracy and election security. She has provided her expertise as director of the Defending Democratic Institutions project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, former chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Law and National Security, former member of the ABA Standing Committee on Public Education and leader of projects such as Civics at Work. As undersecretary for the Department of Homeland Security, she led the National Protection and Programs Directorate, charged with strengthening cybersecurity and protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure, including election security.
• Robert Weisenbach (Erie, Pennsylvania). As the postmaster at the Erie General Mail Facility, he exemplified dedication, integrity and resilience in upholding the democratic process during the tumultuous events surrounding the 2020 presidential election. His leadership and meticulous adherence to U.S. Postal Service mandates ensured that every vote was counted.
—————
Election officials
• Cathy Darling Allen (Shasta County Clerk and Registrar of Voters, Shasta County, California)
• Bill Gates (Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, Phoenix, Arizona)
• Michella Huff (Surry County Board of Elections, Dobson, North Carolina)
• Stephen Richer (Maricopa County Recorder, Phoenix, Arizona)
• Meagan Wolfe (Wisconsin Elections Commission, Madison, Wisconsin)
(https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/ 2024/07/aba-names-unsung-heroes-democracy/)
The ABA Task Force for American Democracy has named 22 individuals and organizations as recipients of the Unsung Heroes of Democracy Award. The awardees include eight organizations and 14 individuals, including five election officials, who significantly advanced the cause of protecting American democracy across the nation.
“Our democracy and our election process have been under attack in recent years,” ABA President Mary Smith said. “With our Unsung Heroes of Democracy Award, the ABA wants to recognize those individuals and groups that have answered the call to stand up for our system of government.”
President Smith will present the awards in Chicago during the Democracy Summit luncheon at the ABA Annual Meeting on Friday, Aug. 2.
Organizational winners are:
• Arizona Native Vote Election Protection Project. For more than 10 years, this group has coordinated “get out the vote” campaigns and election protection efforts in response to disparities in voting in Arizona that placed a unique burden on Native American voters.
• Braver Angels. Launched in 2016, the organization brings together people of varying political perspectives not to compromise their deepest convictions but to find one another as citizens. Through its depolarization programming, including workshops, debates, campus engagement and other offerings, Braver Angels helps Americans understand each other beyond stereotypes.
• Center for Election Innovation & Research. The center is known for its nonpartisan work with election officials of both parties, conducting research, coordinating pro bono legal defense for election officials under threat of harassment and advocating for best practices that have tangibly improved our elections.
• Committee of 70. The group is recognized for its defense of the rights of voters, advocacy for electoral reforms, promotion of transparent and accountable government and fostering of a culture of civic responsibility and democratic resilience in our communities.
• Equip for Equality. This organization is known for its partnership with the Chicago Board of Elections to improve voting access for people with disabilities at each of Chicago’s more than 1,200 polling places. As part of this work, Chicago has gone from having nearly 850 inaccessible precinct polling places in 2016 to less than 90 in 2024.
• Keep Our Republic. It is recognized for supporting election workers, lawyers and everyday citizens who stand up for democracy, protect against unconventional threats facing our election system and advance ways to help strengthen citizen trust in our electoral system.
• New York City Bar Association Task Force on the Rule of Law. The task force’s work, programming and relationships with numerous institutions in metropolitan New York have been a beacon of hope and action for lawyers and the American public to support democracy and build the rule of law.
• North Dakota Native Vote. The organization stands out as the only statewide organization in North Dakota that works to build power for North Dakota’s Native communities by ensuring Native voices are included in the processes that affect their daily lives. From advocating for equal access to polling places to challenging discriminatory voter ID laws, North Dakota Native Vote has been at the forefront of the fight for electoral justice.
—————
Individual winners
• Bob Bauer and Ben Ginsberg (Washington, D.C.). Although political law adversaries for 40 years, the two joined forces after the 2020 election to create and co-chair two nonprofits designed to help election officials. The Election Official Legal Defense Network connects election officials in need of advice or assistance with licensed, qualified pro bono. The Pillars of the Community program seeks to bolster public faith in elections by engaging a politically diverse group of civic leaders with election officials to discuss the operation and integrity of the electoral process.
• Katherine Culliton-González (Silver Spring, Maryland). As a civil rights attorney, her unwavering dedication to fair elections, democracy and the rule of law has had a profound, positive impact in her community.
• Gent Haviari (Dartmouth, New Hampshire). Haviari is honored for his leadership in civic engagement at UMass Dartmouth throughout his academic career. Most notably, he has served as coordinator of the UMassD Votes Coalition, which helps recruit undergraduate students, graduate students and law students on campus to work together to increase voter turnout.
• William J. Kresse (Chicago, Illinois). Kresse has provided remarkable leadership as one of three members on the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, valuable teaching and research on fraud examination, auditing and accounting and innovative guidance in founding the Institute of Election Auditors.
• Michael Stiegler (Washington, D.C.). As an officer in the Situation Room during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, he epitomizes the essence of the Unsung Heroes of Democracy Award as one of the thousands of career civil servants who do their jobs every day behind the scenes to keep our republic safe and secure.
• Christine Torbett (Columbus, Ohio). For many years, she has volunteered as a poll worker to make sure the elections in her community are free and fair. She has demonstrated the impact that one everyday citizen can have when it comes to defending our democracy.
• Suzanne Spaulding (Washington, D.C.). Spaulding has dedicated her career to work in the critical areas of democracy building, education about the rule of law and threats to our democracy and election security. She has provided her expertise as director of the Defending Democratic Institutions project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, former chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Law and National Security, former member of the ABA Standing Committee on Public Education and leader of projects such as Civics at Work. As undersecretary for the Department of Homeland Security, she led the National Protection and Programs Directorate, charged with strengthening cybersecurity and protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure, including election security.
• Robert Weisenbach (Erie, Pennsylvania). As the postmaster at the Erie General Mail Facility, he exemplified dedication, integrity and resilience in upholding the democratic process during the tumultuous events surrounding the 2020 presidential election. His leadership and meticulous adherence to U.S. Postal Service mandates ensured that every vote was counted.
—————
Election officials
• Cathy Darling Allen (Shasta County Clerk and Registrar of Voters, Shasta County, California)
• Bill Gates (Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, Phoenix, Arizona)
• Michella Huff (Surry County Board of Elections, Dobson, North Carolina)
• Stephen Richer (Maricopa County Recorder, Phoenix, Arizona)
• Meagan Wolfe (Wisconsin Elections Commission, Madison, Wisconsin)
(https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/ 2024/07/aba-names-unsung-heroes-democracy/)
