How the Legal Profession Advances America’s Civic Engagement and Education

The state of civics in America is, well, in jeopardy. With escalating concerns about the threat to American democracy as a result of domestic and foreign election interference and disinformation campaigns, as well as the threat from Americans’ declining social studies knowledge, there is cause for concern. But there is also cause for continued and increased engagement on these issues among legal professionals—like FBA members—who carry the wisdom and experience to provide much-needed training, education, and mentorship.

The Importance of—and Gaps in—Civics Today

Aristotle once famously said, “if liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost.”

More recently, U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts shared his concern that Americans have taken democracy “for granted” and that  “civic education has fallen by the wayside.”

U.S. citizens are proving his point. According to a Pew Research study, barely more than a quarter of respondents know who Chief Justice Roberts is. The study also found that about half of Americans think we don’t need to live in a democracy—because they say it doesn’t work. Almost the same number would accept a government ruled by one individual (i.e. an autocrat). A 2022 Annenberg study showed that a quarter of Americans couldn’t name one branch of government nor any First Amendment rights. And RAND reports that social studies performance in K-12 schools is plummeting as a result of budget cuts and other infrastructure factors.

So, as different interest groups hunker down in their respective corners, the legal profession has untapped potential to advance our society in this area. The Atlantic describes the historic philosophy that held us back. “Judges and lawyers have traditionally not viewed themselves as having a central role in public education about law and government. We thought that other elements of society had ownership of that task. But the diminished capacity of some of these elements (especially the incredible shrinking press), suggest that the profession must be more assertive on this front. … Courts and judges in particular are well suited for making a difference in civic education, standing as they do in the public mind as reasonably honest. …”

The FBA Is Stepping Up

The Federal Bar Association has taken a leadership role and made investments in civics. Here are just a few of the ways we are sparking interest and increasing knowledge in civics education and providing other community engagement resources to help our membership conduct its important work.

• Civics Essay Contest: This initiative invites high school students (grades 9-12) to address current events in civics, with a timely topic announced each year. Students are provided a detailed prompt with summaries of applicable court cases to consider, and they are asked to submit essays no greater than 1,000 words. Scholarships are awarded for first, second, and third place. The 2024 winners hail from New Jersey, Colorado, and Florida.
• Civics Education Resources: We have developed a dedicated resources webpage that includes educational materials, planned programs, and videos for students of all ages. On this page, you will find a National Civics Education Initiative involving a partnership between the FBA and the U.S. Courts, a downloadable Civics Education Toolkit, and a video training titled “Civil Discourse and Difficult Decisions.”

When the FBA launched its National Civics Education Initiative, it unveiled a video affirming its “pledge to collaborate and promote constitutional civics” and challenging its membership to partner with local courts to provide one civics education program for youth that year. In the FBA’s resources section, you will also find highlights of local education initiatives from the Middle District of Florida and the Southern District of New York. In addition, federal judges in Florida and Arizona have launched a courtroom program for young people on “civility and solid decisions” that is easy to replicate in any jurisdiction, with the help of videos and classroom-ready materials ready to download. Approximately 10,000 children have been educated through this initiative, made possible through local FBA chapter involvement.

• SOLACE: This program, which stands for Support of Lawyers/Legal Personnel—All Concern Encouraged, provides a 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 need assistance. We have a strong history of processing requests and providing responsive help. Examples include securing a medical evacuation airlift from a foreign country; contributing frequent flyer miles or hotel points for families who cannot afford the travel costs associated with medical treatment; providing a family with meals, lodging, assistance with grocery shopping or child care; or providing non-legal information. Another relevant and heart-wrenching example involves the recent wildfires on the Hawai‘i Island of Maui: The Lahaina District Court, along with the homes of four staff members and one judge, completely burned down. Members of the FBA Hawai‘i Chapter have been coordinating efforts to assist those affected by this tragedy.

The FBA is dedicated to not only advancing the public good, but also to helping each other. If you need help, we encourage you to submit a SOLACE request—no matter how big or how small. To get started, email solace@fedbar.org and include SOLACE and a keyword in the subject line: provide your name, name of requestor of assistance, description of the requested assistance, and contact information.

Get Involved

American civic engagement could definitely use some strengthening, as well an experienced and unbiased legal influence. “Reversing current [societal and educational] trends will require concerted effort,” notes RAND senior policy researcher Julia Kaufman. The good news is that the Federal Bar Association is already making considerable effort to offer resources and up-level U.S. civics.