Three Kettering Foundation fellows recently participated in a bipartisan American Bar Association (ABA) task force that encourages lawyers to protect democracy in the lead up to the 2024 elections. Senior fellow J. Michael Luttig cochaired the Task Force for American Democracy, which also included senior fellow Maureen O’Connor and Fanning fellow Judy Woodruff.

The Task Force for American Democracy’s report, released August 2, assesses the state of democracy in the United States. Considering the numerous threats—including misinformation, polarization, and political violence—the task force focused on activating lawyers and bar associations who are uniquely positioned to shore up democracy. The ABA’s president describes the report as “a call to action for all legal professionals to reinforce their commitment to justice, equity and democratic integrity.”

The task force’s analysis argues that “Lawyers and judges play a unique role in upholding the rule of law, ensuring that laws are applied equally to all citizens and that government actions are subject to judicial review, leading to accountability, transparency and predictability in governance.” It provides a list of specific actions for legal professionals to take, including:

1. Voting and encouraging others to vote;
2. Volunteering, e.g., as a poll worker or doing pro bono work to protect election officials;
3. Being an active and vocal democracy leader in one’s community; and
4. Sharing the ABA Task Force’s resources with networks and encouraging others to get involved.

Like the Task Force for American Democracy, the Charles F. Kettering Foundation believes these are necessary components for democracy to thrive. Our work at the foundation includes promoting government accountability, protecting the rights of all, and maintaining democratic integrity.