By American Bar Association
The American Bar Association’s ABA Day returns this week as lawyers from around the country come to Washington, D.C., to advocate for issues important to the legal profession and the rule of law in meetings with their elected officials.
ABA Day 2025, which will run April 8-10, is focused on building relationships with the 75 new House and Senate members of the 119th Congress, along with the new committee and party leaders. The American Bar Association has prioritized lobbying for greater funding for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), security for the judiciary, support for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and tax fairness for law firms and other professional service businesses.
LSC provides civil legal representation for low-income individuals and attempts to narrow the justice gap in America. LSC distributes more than 90% of its funding to 130 independent nonprofit legal aid programs, which together operate more than 800 offices across the country. These programs serve as a lifeline for low-income Americans. LSC grantees provide civil legal services in family law cases, eviction cases, natural disaster relief, veterans issues, employment and consumer disputes.
ABA Day will also concentrate on issues surrounding threats against judges. A bedrock principle of the Constitution is a fair and impartial judiciary where judges can issue decisions based on the facts of the case without fear of reprisal or physical harm. The ABA will urge Congress to pass legislation that would establish a State Judicial Threat Intelligence and Resource Center within the existing State Justice Institute to enhance judicial security for state judges.
The shortage of judges has profoundly affected the American public as caseloads continue to grow. The ABA will advocate for Congress to pass legislation to authorize additional district and circuit court judgeships in those circuits where the Judicial Conference of the United States has determined a need exists based on rising caseloads and complexity of the issues presented for resolution.
The ABA Governmental Affairs Office, which organizes ABA Day, also will present several awards. Two House representatives — Claudia Tenney (R-NY) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) — will be given Justice Awards. Tenney will be honored for her steadfast support for LSC and legal representation for children. Bonamici will be recognized for her support for public defense funding and her leadership in championing the Ensuring Quality Access to Legal (EQUAL) Defense Act to increase access to counsel at a time of public defender shortages.
Two Grassroots Awards also will be handed out. Amanda Brown, director of ABA Disaster Legal Services, will be honored for her efforts for disaster legal relief and the other to Judge Nathan L. Hecht, former chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court, for his unwavering support for legal aid.
In addition to the in-person events, the ABA encourages lawyers around the country to engage with their lawmakers electronically or through local office visits.
(https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2025/04/lobbying-efforts-judicial-security-lsc-funding/)
The American Bar Association’s ABA Day returns this week as lawyers from around the country come to Washington, D.C., to advocate for issues important to the legal profession and the rule of law in meetings with their elected officials.
ABA Day 2025, which will run April 8-10, is focused on building relationships with the 75 new House and Senate members of the 119th Congress, along with the new committee and party leaders. The American Bar Association has prioritized lobbying for greater funding for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), security for the judiciary, support for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and tax fairness for law firms and other professional service businesses.
LSC provides civil legal representation for low-income individuals and attempts to narrow the justice gap in America. LSC distributes more than 90% of its funding to 130 independent nonprofit legal aid programs, which together operate more than 800 offices across the country. These programs serve as a lifeline for low-income Americans. LSC grantees provide civil legal services in family law cases, eviction cases, natural disaster relief, veterans issues, employment and consumer disputes.
ABA Day will also concentrate on issues surrounding threats against judges. A bedrock principle of the Constitution is a fair and impartial judiciary where judges can issue decisions based on the facts of the case without fear of reprisal or physical harm. The ABA will urge Congress to pass legislation that would establish a State Judicial Threat Intelligence and Resource Center within the existing State Justice Institute to enhance judicial security for state judges.
The shortage of judges has profoundly affected the American public as caseloads continue to grow. The ABA will advocate for Congress to pass legislation to authorize additional district and circuit court judgeships in those circuits where the Judicial Conference of the United States has determined a need exists based on rising caseloads and complexity of the issues presented for resolution.
The ABA Governmental Affairs Office, which organizes ABA Day, also will present several awards. Two House representatives — Claudia Tenney (R-NY) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) — will be given Justice Awards. Tenney will be honored for her steadfast support for LSC and legal representation for children. Bonamici will be recognized for her support for public defense funding and her leadership in championing the Ensuring Quality Access to Legal (EQUAL) Defense Act to increase access to counsel at a time of public defender shortages.
Two Grassroots Awards also will be handed out. Amanda Brown, director of ABA Disaster Legal Services, will be honored for her efforts for disaster legal relief and the other to Judge Nathan L. Hecht, former chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court, for his unwavering support for legal aid.
In addition to the in-person events, the ABA encourages lawyers around the country to engage with their lawmakers electronically or through local office visits.
(https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2025/04/lobbying-efforts-judicial-security-lsc-funding/)
