ABA Task Force to Combat Antisemitism plans to issue report in August 2025

American Bar Association

The American Bar Association Presidential Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, 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.

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.

(https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/ 2024/07/aba-task-force-to-com bat-antisemitism/)

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