NCBP 21st century lawyer
From left to right: Robin Wolpert, NCBP President, Lauren Rikleen, Executive Director, Lawyers Defending American Democracy, Carl Smallwood, Chair, Advisory Commission to the ABA Task Force on American Democracy, Elizabeth Andersen, Executive Director, WJP

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How can U.S. bar leaders and lawyers take an active role in addressing the nation’s significant rule of law challenges?

That was the topic of a recent 21st Century Lawyer program hosted by the National Conference of Bar Presidents (NCBP) in partnership with the World Justice Project (WJP), Lawyers Defending American Democracy, the Divided Community Project at Ohio State University, and the American Bar Association (ABA).

The rule of law is declining both globally and in the United States, as measured by the World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index. Presenting data collected by WJP, NCBP President Robin Wolpert outlined several factors contributing to the erosion of U.S. democracy and rule of law, including falling trust in elections and the decline of civil discourse.

WJP Executive Director Elizabeth Andersen then discussed actionable strategies to address rule of law challenges alongside the Divided Community Project’s Carl Smallwood and Lauren Rikleen of Lawyers Defending American Democracy. They shared examples of successful initiatives including helping bar leaders navigate speaking out on rule of law issues and mobilizing lawyers to uphold election integrity. 

Bar leaders and lawyers are not only the most equipped citizens to act, Andersen emphasized, they have an ethical obligation to the rule of law. 

Sign up for the U.S. Rule of Law Toolkit to receive resources and new U.S. data in the months ahead.

Watch the panel discussion here:

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