Democracy Summit tops ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago July 31-Aug. 6
Action plans for legal professionals nationwide to safeguard U.S. democracy in their hometowns, along with related programming on voting rights, fair elections and protecting civil servants, top the agenda of the American Bar Association 2024 Annual Meeting in Chicago July 31-Aug. 6.
A first-ever Democracy Summit on Aug. 2 will be led by former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and former federal judge J. Michael Luttig, co-chairs of the ABA Task Force for American Democracy, which will present its findings on the state of U.S. democracy as well as concrete steps for those in the legal profession to defend the rule of law in their local areas.
Notables participating will include former Merck CEO Ken Frazier, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, director-counsel emeritus Sherrilyn Ifill of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, PBS senior correspondent Judy Woodruff, former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer and former Monsanto general counsel Bill Ide, among others.
Headliners at this premier gathering of legal professionals also include U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, the second highest official of the U.S. Department of Justice, who will be the keynote speaker at the General Assembly on Aug. 2. She will address challenges to the rule of law and pressing concerns facing the nation and the legal profession.
Also at the event, civil rights pioneer Emmet Bondurant will receive the ABA Medal, the association’s highest honor. And, Judge Michelle Childs from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia will speak on July 31 at the Reception Honoring the Judiciary.
In addition, the ABA House of Delegates — the association’s policymaking body — will meet at the Hyatt Regency Chicago Aug. 5 at 9 a.m. and Aug. 6 at 8:30 a.m. CDT.
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Thursday, Aug. 1
• “Lawyers Saving Democracy: The Roles Lawyers Can Play in the Election Process” — Republican and Democratic election front-liners join with representatives from social action groups at Chicago’s Early Voting Supersite to recruit volunteers to help ensure fair voting at polls for upcoming U.S. elections around the nation.
Chicago Board of Elections, 191 N. Clark St. (southeast corner of Lake and Clark streets)
• “Meeting the Challenge: World Justice Project Convening on Democracy and the Rule of Law” — Minister of Justice Adam Bodnar of Poland keynotes on setbacks to the rule of law after the country’s recent election, as 30 social justice projects are showcased as models for best advancing world democracy.
Hyatt Regency Chicago, East Tower, Ballroom Level, Grand Ballroom B, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
• “Tips on Managing the Media in High-Profile Cases” — Judges of prominent cases – including Michigan’s Oxford High School shooting, Kobe Bryant’s 2003 assault accusations and Donald Trump’s eligibility on the Illinois Republican primary ballot, among them – recall adversities and solutions for managing reporters while presiding over their newsworthy cases.
• “AI Hot Topics Every Lawyer Needs to Know” — Pitfalls and benefits of artificial intelligence use by the legal profession will be examined from the perspectives of its widening user base that now includes the judiciary, Big Law and law schools.
• “Zoning, Land Use & Cannabis” — Marijuana-industry insiders discuss the common land-use and zoning challenges that face both operators and governments, as legal cannabis use and sales across the nation expands, sharing how to navigate restrictions in operating cannabis facilities.
• “Disenfranchising the First Americans: Native American Voting Rights” — Fair voting advocates examine why Native Americans still lag behind other ethnic groups in voter registration, turnout and government representation more than 100 years after passage of the Indian Citizenship Act – and the necessary fixes to disenfranchisement.
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Friday, Aug. 1
• “Safeguarding Public Officials: Protecting Judges, Civil Servants and the Rule of Law” — Threats to harm and incidents of violence against judges, election workers and other public employees have dramatically increased in the past few years. Which local, state and national efforts to protect those in government are working?
• “Ethics, Uses and Abuses of Generative AI for Attorneys and Judges: An Interactive Session” — Experts and ethicists outline the dos and don’ts of generative artificial-intelligence usage by the bench and bar, as well as top legal concerns on machine-learning technology, including issues of privacy and copyright infringement.
• “Democracy Summit” — U.S. leaders join together to act on growing authoritarianism around the globe. Former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and former federal judge J. Michael Luttig offer up ways that legal professionals can defend the rule of law, developed as co-leads of an ABA task force that included leaders from law, government, corporate America, social justice organizations and other diverse groups, in collaboration of a multi-prong effort to defend democracy worldwide. The agenda includes:
– Lunch discussion on threats to democracy led by former Merck CEO Ken Frazier and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina
– “Role of Lawyers and the Justice System in Defending the Constitution and Assuring Trust in Elections” with former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer and former Monsanto general counsel Bill Ide
– “Every American is a Civics Teacher” with Sherrilyn Ifill, director-counsel emeritus of NAACP Legal Defense Fund
– “How to Remove Contempt from our Political Discourse”
– “The Activities and Learnings of the Task Force and What Each of Us Can Do to Make a Difference” with Johnson and Luttig
– “Unsung Heroes of Democracy Medal Presentation”
Hyatt Regency Chicago, West Tower, Lobby Level, Crystal Ballroom A/B
• “Prosecutor-Initiated Resentencing: A New Tool for Advancing Justice and Public Safety” — Justice system reformers report their success with resentencing initiatives, offering promising outcomes that increased the number of former prisoners successfully reintegrated without a loss in public safety; and how resentencing can resolve over-incarceration problems while boosting the effectiveness of public safety resources.
• “It Takes a Village: How Local Governments (or Chicago), Non-Profits and Pro Bono Attorneys are Responding to the New Wave of Immigrants” — Chicago’s response to a deluge of new immigrants will launch a discussion on how local governments are serving their fresh arrivals while also maintaining traditional functions.
• “General Assembly and Presentation of the ABA Medal” — U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, the second highest official at the U.S. Department of Justice, will address challenges to the rule of law and pressing concerns facing the nation, and Atlanta litigator Emmet Bondurant of Bondurant, Mixson and Elmore, is conferred ABA’s highest honor for his 50-year commitment to advancing American civil rights.
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Saturday, Aug. 3
• “Not Just Abortion Rights: Rediscovering State Constitutional Protections in the Post-Dobbs Era” — A current and retired state supreme court justice, law professor and reproductive-rights attorney discuss the increasing number of states applying their constitutions to abortion rights and how the bench and bar should recalibrate legal education, law practice and advocacy of women’s rights in response.
• “Ensuring Trust in Our Institutions” — Democracy advocates from elected office, the Chicago Board of Elections, National Center for State Courts and other social action groups explain how election administration, the courts and government agencies can collectively leverage their public-facing functions to confront government mistrust.
• “The Roberts Court 2023-24: Chevron Deference, Abortion & Presidential Juris-Politics” — Supreme Court watchers answer burning questions following the high court’s most impactful recent rulings: Is Chevron deference still the law? Is the abortion pill available to women? Is the Court taking an active role in the 2024 U.S. presidential election?
• “New Report — Latinos in the United States: Overcoming Legal Obstacles, Engaging in Civic Life” — The ABA will dissect findings from a new report on the legal obstacles faced by America’s Hispanic population in several key areas, including employment, healthcare, housing, voting and criminal justice; and stakeholders offer up ways the legal profession can best tackle those challenges.
• “Silver Gavel Awards for the Media and Arts” — The ABA honors outstanding work in media and arts that in 2023 best advanced the public’s understanding of law. The first-place winners in nine categories: BOOKS – “Shielded: How the Police Became Untouchable”; COMMENTARY– “Alabama’s Desperate Bid for a Milligan Do-over,”AL.com; DOCUMENTARIES -“No Accident,” Catalyst Films, HBO Documentary Films; DRAMA & LITERATURE– “Killers of the Flower Moon;”MAGAZINES –
“What Makes a Murderer?” The New Yorker /Yale Investigative Reporting Lab; MULTIMEDIA – “Your Democracy,” WHYY and The Law and Policy Group, Inc; NEWSPAPERS – “In the Name of Protection: The Dark Side of Guardianship,” Bloomberg; RADIO – “The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America Podcast,” The Nocturnists; TELEVISION – “Warehoused: The Life and Death of Tristin Murphy,” CBS News Miami
• “Speaking Truth and Asking the Hard Questions: The Media’s Role in Protecting the Rule of Law”— Panelists explore the pressures that impede effective U.S. journalism when trusted sources of information are needed more than ever to push back against widespread misinformation and propaganda. How can we stem the loss of more than 2,600 local news outlets in just the past decade?
• “Honoring Eva Paterson of Equal Justice Society”— Co-founder and president (2000-22) of the Equal Justice Society is conferred the Thurgood Marshall Award for her 40-year career achievements in advancing U.S. civil rights.
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Sunday, Aug. 4
• “Women Lawyers of Achievement: Margaret Brent Awards” — Five trailblazing female attorneys will be recognized with the 2024 Margaret Brent Award. Honorees are: Dolores Atencio, visiting scholar, University of Denver Latinx Center, Sturm College of Law, Denver; Pamila J. Brown, associate judge, Howard County District Court, Ellicott City, Maryland; Estelle H. Rogers, retired public interest lawyer, Forestville, California; Gina Shishima, chief strategy and operations partner, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP, Austin, Texas; Barbara Wall, former chief legal and operating officer of Gannett Co., Inc., Washington, D.C.
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Monday, Aug. 5
• “America’s Top Legal Volunteers”— Five volunteer lawyers and two law firms are recognized for their exemplary pro bono service to underserved Americans: Christine Pate, legal program director, Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault; Judith Rice, judge, Domestic Violence Division, Circuit Court of Cook County; Fawaz Bham, partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP in Dallas; Adrian Urquhart Winder, partner, Foster Garvey in Seattle; James Volling, senior counsel at Faegre Drinker Biddle &Reath LLP in Minneapolis; Prudential Financial; and Hoover Penrod.
A first-ever Democracy Summit on Aug. 2 will be led by former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and former federal judge J. Michael Luttig, co-chairs of the ABA Task Force for American Democracy, which will present its findings on the state of U.S. democracy as well as concrete steps for those in the legal profession to defend the rule of law in their local areas.
Notables participating will include former Merck CEO Ken Frazier, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, director-counsel emeritus Sherrilyn Ifill of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, PBS senior correspondent Judy Woodruff, former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer and former Monsanto general counsel Bill Ide, among others.
Headliners at this premier gathering of legal professionals also include U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, the second highest official of the U.S. Department of Justice, who will be the keynote speaker at the General Assembly on Aug. 2. She will address challenges to the rule of law and pressing concerns facing the nation and the legal profession.
Also at the event, civil rights pioneer Emmet Bondurant will receive the ABA Medal, the association’s highest honor. And, Judge Michelle Childs from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia will speak on July 31 at the Reception Honoring the Judiciary.
In addition, the ABA House of Delegates — the association’s policymaking body — will meet at the Hyatt Regency Chicago Aug. 5 at 9 a.m. and Aug. 6 at 8:30 a.m. CDT.
—————
Thursday, Aug. 1
• “Lawyers Saving Democracy: The Roles Lawyers Can Play in the Election Process” — Republican and Democratic election front-liners join with representatives from social action groups at Chicago’s Early Voting Supersite to recruit volunteers to help ensure fair voting at polls for upcoming U.S. elections around the nation.
Chicago Board of Elections, 191 N. Clark St. (southeast corner of Lake and Clark streets)
• “Meeting the Challenge: World Justice Project Convening on Democracy and the Rule of Law” — Minister of Justice Adam Bodnar of Poland keynotes on setbacks to the rule of law after the country’s recent election, as 30 social justice projects are showcased as models for best advancing world democracy.
Hyatt Regency Chicago, East Tower, Ballroom Level, Grand Ballroom B, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
• “Tips on Managing the Media in High-Profile Cases” — Judges of prominent cases – including Michigan’s Oxford High School shooting, Kobe Bryant’s 2003 assault accusations and Donald Trump’s eligibility on the Illinois Republican primary ballot, among them – recall adversities and solutions for managing reporters while presiding over their newsworthy cases.
• “AI Hot Topics Every Lawyer Needs to Know” — Pitfalls and benefits of artificial intelligence use by the legal profession will be examined from the perspectives of its widening user base that now includes the judiciary, Big Law and law schools.
• “Zoning, Land Use & Cannabis” — Marijuana-industry insiders discuss the common land-use and zoning challenges that face both operators and governments, as legal cannabis use and sales across the nation expands, sharing how to navigate restrictions in operating cannabis facilities.
• “Disenfranchising the First Americans: Native American Voting Rights” — Fair voting advocates examine why Native Americans still lag behind other ethnic groups in voter registration, turnout and government representation more than 100 years after passage of the Indian Citizenship Act – and the necessary fixes to disenfranchisement.
—————
Friday, Aug. 1
• “Safeguarding Public Officials: Protecting Judges, Civil Servants and the Rule of Law” — Threats to harm and incidents of violence against judges, election workers and other public employees have dramatically increased in the past few years. Which local, state and national efforts to protect those in government are working?
• “Ethics, Uses and Abuses of Generative AI for Attorneys and Judges: An Interactive Session” — Experts and ethicists outline the dos and don’ts of generative artificial-intelligence usage by the bench and bar, as well as top legal concerns on machine-learning technology, including issues of privacy and copyright infringement.
• “Democracy Summit” — U.S. leaders join together to act on growing authoritarianism around the globe. Former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and former federal judge J. Michael Luttig offer up ways that legal professionals can defend the rule of law, developed as co-leads of an ABA task force that included leaders from law, government, corporate America, social justice organizations and other diverse groups, in collaboration of a multi-prong effort to defend democracy worldwide. The agenda includes:
– Lunch discussion on threats to democracy led by former Merck CEO Ken Frazier and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina
– “Role of Lawyers and the Justice System in Defending the Constitution and Assuring Trust in Elections” with former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer and former Monsanto general counsel Bill Ide
– “Every American is a Civics Teacher” with Sherrilyn Ifill, director-counsel emeritus of NAACP Legal Defense Fund
– “How to Remove Contempt from our Political Discourse”
– “The Activities and Learnings of the Task Force and What Each of Us Can Do to Make a Difference” with Johnson and Luttig
– “Unsung Heroes of Democracy Medal Presentation”
Hyatt Regency Chicago, West Tower, Lobby Level, Crystal Ballroom A/B
• “Prosecutor-Initiated Resentencing: A New Tool for Advancing Justice and Public Safety” — Justice system reformers report their success with resentencing initiatives, offering promising outcomes that increased the number of former prisoners successfully reintegrated without a loss in public safety; and how resentencing can resolve over-incarceration problems while boosting the effectiveness of public safety resources.
• “It Takes a Village: How Local Governments (or Chicago), Non-Profits and Pro Bono Attorneys are Responding to the New Wave of Immigrants” — Chicago’s response to a deluge of new immigrants will launch a discussion on how local governments are serving their fresh arrivals while also maintaining traditional functions.
• “General Assembly and Presentation of the ABA Medal” — U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, the second highest official at the U.S. Department of Justice, will address challenges to the rule of law and pressing concerns facing the nation, and Atlanta litigator Emmet Bondurant of Bondurant, Mixson and Elmore, is conferred ABA’s highest honor for his 50-year commitment to advancing American civil rights.
—————
Saturday, Aug. 3
• “Not Just Abortion Rights: Rediscovering State Constitutional Protections in the Post-Dobbs Era” — A current and retired state supreme court justice, law professor and reproductive-rights attorney discuss the increasing number of states applying their constitutions to abortion rights and how the bench and bar should recalibrate legal education, law practice and advocacy of women’s rights in response.
• “Ensuring Trust in Our Institutions” — Democracy advocates from elected office, the Chicago Board of Elections, National Center for State Courts and other social action groups explain how election administration, the courts and government agencies can collectively leverage their public-facing functions to confront government mistrust.
• “The Roberts Court 2023-24: Chevron Deference, Abortion & Presidential Juris-Politics” — Supreme Court watchers answer burning questions following the high court’s most impactful recent rulings: Is Chevron deference still the law? Is the abortion pill available to women? Is the Court taking an active role in the 2024 U.S. presidential election?
• “New Report — Latinos in the United States: Overcoming Legal Obstacles, Engaging in Civic Life” — The ABA will dissect findings from a new report on the legal obstacles faced by America’s Hispanic population in several key areas, including employment, healthcare, housing, voting and criminal justice; and stakeholders offer up ways the legal profession can best tackle those challenges.
• “Silver Gavel Awards for the Media and Arts” — The ABA honors outstanding work in media and arts that in 2023 best advanced the public’s understanding of law. The first-place winners in nine categories: BOOKS – “Shielded: How the Police Became Untouchable”; COMMENTARY– “Alabama’s Desperate Bid for a Milligan Do-over,”AL.com; DOCUMENTARIES -“No Accident,” Catalyst Films, HBO Documentary Films; DRAMA & LITERATURE– “Killers of the Flower Moon;”MAGAZINES –
“What Makes a Murderer?” The New Yorker /Yale Investigative Reporting Lab; MULTIMEDIA – “Your Democracy,” WHYY and The Law and Policy Group, Inc; NEWSPAPERS – “In the Name of Protection: The Dark Side of Guardianship,” Bloomberg; RADIO – “The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America Podcast,” The Nocturnists; TELEVISION – “Warehoused: The Life and Death of Tristin Murphy,” CBS News Miami
• “Speaking Truth and Asking the Hard Questions: The Media’s Role in Protecting the Rule of Law”— Panelists explore the pressures that impede effective U.S. journalism when trusted sources of information are needed more than ever to push back against widespread misinformation and propaganda. How can we stem the loss of more than 2,600 local news outlets in just the past decade?
• “Honoring Eva Paterson of Equal Justice Society”— Co-founder and president (2000-22) of the Equal Justice Society is conferred the Thurgood Marshall Award for her 40-year career achievements in advancing U.S. civil rights.
—————
Sunday, Aug. 4
• “Women Lawyers of Achievement: Margaret Brent Awards” — Five trailblazing female attorneys will be recognized with the 2024 Margaret Brent Award. Honorees are: Dolores Atencio, visiting scholar, University of Denver Latinx Center, Sturm College of Law, Denver; Pamila J. Brown, associate judge, Howard County District Court, Ellicott City, Maryland; Estelle H. Rogers, retired public interest lawyer, Forestville, California; Gina Shishima, chief strategy and operations partner, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP, Austin, Texas; Barbara Wall, former chief legal and operating officer of Gannett Co., Inc., Washington, D.C.
—————
Monday, Aug. 5
• “America’s Top Legal Volunteers”— Five volunteer lawyers and two law firms are recognized for their exemplary pro bono service to underserved Americans: Christine Pate, legal program director, Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault; Judith Rice, judge, Domestic Violence Division, Circuit Court of Cook County; Fawaz Bham, partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP in Dallas; Adrian Urquhart Winder, partner, Foster Garvey in Seattle; James Volling, senior counsel at Faegre Drinker Biddle &Reath LLP in Minneapolis; Prudential Financial; and Hoover Penrod.
Jeh Johnson to receive ABA Presidential Citation
American Bar Association
American Bar Association President Mary Smith will award a Presidential Citation to Jeh C. Johnson, co-chair of the ABA Task Force for American Democracy and former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, at the association’s Annual Meeting, July 31-August 6, in Chicago.
Johnson will be honored for “his extraordinary and lifetime commitment to serving the profession; his unwavering commitment to the rule of law and the advancement of diversity, equity and inclusion; and his relentless dedication and leadership to strengthening democracy as co-chair of the ABA Task Force for American Democracy.”
Johnson has served as task force co-chair since 2023, as secretary of Homeland Security from 2013 to 2017 and as general counsel of the Department of Defense from 2009 to 2012. He is a former general counsel of the Department of the Air Force and an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.
Johnson is currently in private law practice with the firm of Paul, Weiss. He is a member of the board of directors of Lockheed Martin, United States Steel, MetLife and the Council on Foreign Relations. He is also a trustee of Columbia University.
Johnson received The American Lawyer’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 and the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Award the same year for “contributing greatly to the defense of our nation” and “guiding us through turbulent times with courage and wisdom.” Earlier this year, Johnson received the New York State Bar Association's Gold Medal Award, its highest honor.
(https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/ 2024/07/jeh-johnson-aba-presi dential-citation/)
American Bar Association President Mary Smith will award a Presidential Citation to Jeh C. Johnson, co-chair of the ABA Task Force for American Democracy and former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, at the association’s Annual Meeting, July 31-August 6, in Chicago.
Johnson will be honored for “his extraordinary and lifetime commitment to serving the profession; his unwavering commitment to the rule of law and the advancement of diversity, equity and inclusion; and his relentless dedication and leadership to strengthening democracy as co-chair of the ABA Task Force for American Democracy.”
Johnson has served as task force co-chair since 2023, as secretary of Homeland Security from 2013 to 2017 and as general counsel of the Department of Defense from 2009 to 2012. He is a former general counsel of the Department of the Air Force and an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.
Johnson is currently in private law practice with the firm of Paul, Weiss. He is a member of the board of directors of Lockheed Martin, United States Steel, MetLife and the Council on Foreign Relations. He is also a trustee of Columbia University.
Johnson received The American Lawyer’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 and the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Award the same year for “contributing greatly to the defense of our nation” and “guiding us through turbulent times with courage and wisdom.” Earlier this year, Johnson received the New York State Bar Association's Gold Medal Award, its highest honor.
(https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/ 2024/07/jeh-johnson-aba-presi dential-citation/)
