UMD, UB Law deans sign joint letter from ABA Task Force for American Democracy

The American Bar Association’s Task Force for American Democracy Tuesday unveiled a letter signed by more than 100 deans from America’s law schools, including Renée McDonald Hutchins of the University of Maryland’s King Carey Law School and Ronald Weich of the School of Law at the University of Baltimore, concerning the training necessary for the next generation of lawyers to sustain our constitutional democracy and the rule of law.

In their letter, the group of educators — charged with training our nation’s lawyers — affirms its commitment to preparing the next generation of legal advocates to uphold democracy and the rule of law. The message articulated by the deans urges students to champion the Constitution and the rule of law through avenues such as clinical work, public education and advocacy as well as makes a commitment on the deans’ part to teach our nation’s law students to disagree respectfully, be open to others’ arguments and engage across partisan and ideological divides.

Read the letter here.

ABA President Mary Smith, who created the task force at the start of her presidential term in August 2023, has concentrated on protecting democracy throughout her year.

The deans’ letter comes amidst ongoing challenges and a growing sense of weariness that pervades the American public’s sentiment regarding our democratic systems.

A recent Gallup poll reveals that only 28% of U.S. adults express satisfaction with the state of democracy in the country. One ray of hope, however, is that in 2022 a staggering 116,723 students enrolled in juris doctorate programs, according to the ABA Profile of the Legal Profession released last year. These students and the deans’ commitment herald a new era of legal advocates for the rule of law and our democracy.

The collaboration between the ABA Task Force for American Democracy and the deans of law schools underscores the imperative of confronting contemporary challenges and the importance of doing so through joint efforts.

As the 2024 election approaches, law students are actively engaged in conversations about democracy, as seen by their attendance at the task force’s recent listening tour events in Georgia, Michigan and Pennsylvania.