Judy Perry Martinez, President
The American Bar Association
321 North Clark Street
Chicago, Illinois 60654
February 16, 2020
Dear Madame President;
I wish to protest the failure of the American Bar Association to publicly condemn President Donald Trump's assault on the rule of law.
The ABA's statement of purpose reads: The mission of the ABA is to be the national representative of the legal profession, serving the public and the profession by promoting justice, professional excellence and respect for the law.
Please explain how your association’s shameful silence regarding the president's continued attacks on judicial independence, the intelligence community, and the articles of the United States Constitution, advances your mission of respect for the law.
How does your lack of response fulfill the mission of promoting justice when the president threatens sitting judges? When he vilifies dedicated civil servants who obey the law and answer subpoenas, only to be vengefully removed from their positions,
How does it comport with your mission of respect for the law when the president misappropriates the Department of Justice to function as his personal law firm, and the Unites States Attorney General as his personal lawyer? When, with this relationship, he can dictate who he wants investigated and who he does not. When he can punish his political enemies and reward his financial supporters and indicted cronies, all with no objection from your association.
The ABA website directs under the heading Rule Of Law that you: Hold governments accountable under law. What effect will your abrogation of that ABA directive have on this country, particularly on its young people? To what effect your failure to hold the president accountable in his contempt for the rule of the law?
As much as any other of this nation's institutions, the ABA by its own mission statement has the duty to speak out when the president announces "I can do whatever I want," and thus assumes the mantle of monarchy. If you continue to answer this authoritarian conduct with silence, it can only be assumed that you do not disapprove it.
I am by profession a historian. I can say with little fear of contradiction that history will judge you harshly for not forcefully condemning the destruction of our democracy's rule of law.
Yours truly,
Miriam _________
If any of you feel moved to raise your voice to the ABA, below are two contacts. The ABA website also has a “Contact Us” email option.
Teresa Schmid, Director of the Center for Professional Responsibility (312-988-5294)
Mary McDermott, Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility (312-988-5310)