How the FBA Advocates for the Rule of Law

This President’s Message was published in the Fall 2025 issue of The Federal Lawyer.

by Hon. Karoline Mehalchick, FY26 FBA President

It is a privilege to write this message to you today as your newest president of the Federal Bar Association. I am proud to serve as your president this year and I hope that I serve the FBA and you, the lifeblood of the FBA, its members, with honor and distinction.

These are important and exciting times for the FBA. Our mission, “to strengthen the federal legal system and administration of justice by serving the interests and the needs of the federal practitioner, both public and private, the federal judiciary and the public they serve,” remains critically important. The breadth of our membership is wide and includes law students, private practitioners, government attorneys, law clerks, and the judiciary. Whether you advocate in a courtroom, advise a client in a boardroom, or serve on the bench, the FBA remains committed to its nonpartisan work of supporting you, the federal practitioner, the independent judiciary, and the rule of law. The rule of law is the foundation on which our democracy rests and is the tie that binds our country together. It is the concept that no one is above the law. It is the idea that laws must be applied fairly and equally and that the legal process is able to be understood by all. The rule of law lives in the actions of the people, particularly the practitioners and judges who have sworn oaths to defend it.

The FBA, through its mission and members, is a guardian of the rule of law. True to the classic adage, “actions speak louder than words,” the FBA actively protects the rule of law, supports an independent judiciary, and serves all its members through civics education, community outreach, and government relations programs. For example, the FBA’s Civics Initiative partners with the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to gather resources and materials for our members to easily replicate civics education programs throughout the country. Some highlights have been the Middle District of Florida’s “Civil Discourse and Difficult Decisions” program for high school students and the Southern District of New York Chapter’s partnership with the Second Circuit’s “Justice for All” Initiative. Our website (www.fedbar.org) is packed with resources for any type of program you or your chapter might want to present, whether you have 15 minutes or an hour. On the community outreach front, the FBA continues to partner with SOLACE to provide way for the FBA legal community to reach out in small, but meaningful and compassionate, ways to FBA members and those related to them in the legal community who experience a death or some catastrophic event, illness, sickness, injury, or other personal crisis. Most recently, in my role as President-Elect of the FBA, I had the opportunity to participate in the planning and presentation of a Speak Up For Justice event, which sought to highlight the importance of safeguarding our independent judiciary and the rule of law.

The FBA also maintains an active presence in the nation’s capital, monitoring and participating in policy-making processes in Congress, the Executive Branch, and the federal judiciary. Our amazing government relations team, including the government relations committee and counsel, coordinates and implements the FBA’s nonpartisan issues agenda. That team actively works to promote issues like judicial security and funding for federal courts and has been instrumental in advancing the mission and values of the FBA. The government relations team and the rest of the FBA convene at Capitol Hill Day each year in March, where we meet with members of Congress to advocate on these issues, cementing the FBA as a nonpartisan resource for input on important matters to the federal bench and bar. This year, more than 135 of our members, including law students, practitioners, and judges, held more than 200 meetings with members of Congress during Capitol Hill Day, addressing concerns ranging from funding for judiciary security to approval of the Foundation of the FBA Charter Amendments Act. I look forward to even more of you participating in 2026 Capitol Hill Day! To assist in supporting judges interested in participating in Capitol Hill Day and other meetings with members of Congress, our Judiciary Division developed a set of “Education Outreach Guidelines for Federal Judges and Nonjudicial Court Employees” to guide federal judges in educating but not advocating in support of the judiciary. If any of my judicial colleagues have questions about participating in these efforts, I urge you to reach out to me to discuss this issue further.

These are just some of the many ways in which the FBA educates and advocates for the rule of law every day. In my years as a member of the FBA, I have had the privilege of participating in and observing all these programs and more. As your president for the next year, which coincides with the 250th birthday of this great nation, I am committed to supporting the FBA’s mission, to protecting the rule of law, and to serving you, the members of the FBA. Let us spend this year engaging in discussions supporting the rule of law through civics and community outreach, upholding our independent judiciary, and inspiring and educating the next generation of lawyers and leaders in this profession. I look forward to each and every one of you joining me in this endeavor for the next year.

One of the most wonderful aspects of the FBA is how it brings together those of us committed to the mission of supporting the federal bench and bar, irrespective of political background, practical experience, or career path. Over the years, members of the FBA have become some of my closest friends, through my work in my home chapter in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, as a Third Circuit Vice President, and on the Board of Directors. I look forward to getting to know more of you over the next year. Thank you for the honor of serving as your president. Together, we will continue the work that defines the FBA, protecting the profession of the law and supporting the judicial system.