Embracing Everything the Federal Bar Association Has to Offer

This article by Hon. Karoline Mehalchick was originally published in the Spring 2026 issue of The Federal Lawyer.

The Federal Bar Association is many things to many people. Some members find the most connection and value through their local chapters. Others find the greatest value in the FBA’s sections and divisions, connecting to practitioners across the country in their areas of expertise or interest. For most of my years as a member of the Federal Bar Association, my interest and involvement focused on civics outreach, particularly after I joined the bench in 2013. Civics education and community outreach are of the utmost importance to our profession and to the federal courts, and the FBA provides countless resources and oppor-tunities to participate in education and outreach on a local and national level. After all, as the late Justice Sandra Day O’Connor once said, “Without basic civic education, we cannot expect to preserve or improve our system of government.”

Newer to me, though, is participation in the gov-ernment relations activities of the Federal Bar Associ-ation. In keeping with the FBA’s mission of advancing the federal judicial system and promoting effective legal practice before the federal courts and federal agencies, the FBA’s government relations committee and counsel maintain an active presence in our nation’s capitol, monitoring and participating in policy-making processes in Congress. The focus of the government relations work is the health and welfare of the federal judicial system and effective federal legal practice.

As with everything the FBA does, its government relations work is nonpartisan both in its policies and in its relationships with lawmakers and other officials. But for many reasons, despite the nonpartisan nature of the work, despite ethical guidance that allows for education by judges on such issues, and despite much encouragement by my colleagues and FBA staff over the years, I have hesitated to actively join the govern-ment relations work.

Until now.

At my installation as president in last fall, I spoke about the FBA being proactive rather than reactive, and with continually increasing threats to judicial security and rising concerns about adequate funding for the courts, this year, it was time for me to put my hesitation aside and be active in the FBA’s government relations work. Recognizing my concerns and easing my hesitation, the FBA’s remarkable government relations counsel, Dan Renberg and Cissy Jackson, and our incredible CEO, Stacy King, worked with me to design a meaningful and impactful event that would highlight the judicial security and funding concerns at the forefront of all our minds. With that, a plan for a small, judicially focused “fly-in” visit to Washington, D.C. was formed.

And so, it came to be that in February this year, I had the privilege of participating, together with six of my colleagues from across the country, in a day of over eleven meetings with members of Congress and their staff about judiciary funding and judicial security. During the meetings, the seven of us had the opportu-nity to tell our personal stories and highlight our con-cerns about judicial security and the weight of security and safety concerns on our families. We also discussed the effects felt by our courts without adequate funding.

These meetings coincided with the actual final votes in the House on the five-bill appropriations “minibus” that included funding for the courts. Although wholly coincidental, this timing provided us with the unique opportunity to personally thank members of Congress for the robust funding and for their general support for the judiciary. Thank you to the members and their staff for meeting with us that day, and thank you to my colleagues, Judge Bloom, Judge Gordon, Judge Johnston, Judge Newman, Judge Tunheim, and Judge Zipps, who took time out of their very busy schedules to fly in to Washington, D.C. for this productive and successful day.

Personally, that day in February opened my eyes to the important work of the FBA’s government relations team. While I was familiar with the work, I had not previously directly participated in it. Working well within the guidelines of the judicial canons and the codes of conduct, I was able to directly speak to members of Congress about the issues at the fore-front of the federal judiciary and federal practitioner. Our small group of judges, diverse in geography and appointment, met with members and their staff from both parties, and provided first-hand accounts of our work and the concerns facing our courts daily.

As I write this, I am looking very forward to participating in Capitol Hill Day next month as part of FBA’s Leadership Summit, where members of the FBA will meet with House and Senate offices to discuss those legislative issues most important to members of the FBA, including the administration of justice and the federal courts, funding, judicial security, and court caseloads. By the time you read this, Capitol Hill Day will have come and gone, but I am confident it will be one of our most successful Capitol Hill Days to date. When it comes to the judiciary and the concerns of the federal practitioner, the FBA’s national advocacy efforts are unsurpassed. Being able to participate in these efforts is exciting and meaningful work.

The FBA is truly an organization where anyone working within the federal court system on any level has a home, whether you are an attorney in private practice, a government attorney, a federal court employee, or a federal judge. Whether your interests lie with a specific practice area, with community outreach or civics education, with your local chapter, with national events, or with government relations, there is something for you to do here. Whether your passion is educating high school students about the constitution or advocating for greater funding for our federal courts, the FBA is a place for you to actively pursue that passion. As I recently learned, it is never too late to explore another aspect of the great work the FBA does. If you have never thought about joining a section, check them out – we have 24 sections and 6 career divisions that might be of interest. If you have always thought it might be fun to meet with high school students to talk about civics, but are not sure where to start, take a look at the plethora of resources available on the FBA’s website, or reach out to your local chapter and see what programs they already have in place. And if you have always wondered about the government relations work, or perhaps, like me, were never sure if it was something you could or should do, then please reach out to me to discuss how you might get involved. I am grateful to the FBA for helping me step outside my comfort zone and participate in something new. I encourage each of you to do the same.

My year as your president is flying by. Each week, each month, I connect with more of you and more chapters and sections and get to experience another part of the FBA. Thank you again for this oppor-tunity to serve, and particularly at this moment, for being a part of the FBA’s education, outreach, and advocacy efforts. It is an amazing time to be a member of the FBA. I look forward to connecting with more of you soon in the second half of my year as your president!