National Reach, Local Impact

This President’s Message was published in the Winter 2026 issue of The Federal Lawyer.

by Hon. Karoline Mehalchick, FY26 FBA President

National reach, local impact. That statement embodies the mission, objective, and structure of the Federal Bar Association. In the last week, I had the opportunity to give remarks at two chapter events—first, at the annual meeting of my home chapter, the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and then, at a reception for the newly rebooted Eastern District of Pennsylvania chapter. I was reminded at both events of the special relationship between the Federal Bar Association’s national organization and its local chapters. The strong connection between local chapters and the national association supports the Federal Bar Association’s fulfillment of its mission to support the federal practitioner and judiciary, while strengthening member services, enhancing its advocacy efforts, promoting the relevance of local issues, and fostering leadership and professional growth.

The Federal Bar Association has over 100 chapters across the country. Local chapters conduct local programming, recruit members, organize continuing legal education programs, and host networking and community-oriented events. Broadly, the national organization sets policy, offers resources, houses national governance, supports advocacy, and coordinates national initiatives. The relationship between chapters and national supports the national mission of the Federal Bar Association while providing local relevance to members and their chapters. The Federal Bar Association’s mission is inherently national in scope, serving the needs of the federal practitioner and federal judiciary, and that mission is grounded in our local communities and chapters. Each chapter reflects and highlights local issues, builds relationships between the local bench and bar, and involves members in their local legal community. At the Middle District of Pennsylvania Chapter’s Annual Meeting, members heard remarks from the outgoing chapter president, observed the new slate of chapter officers taking their oath of office, received a state of the district address from the Chief Judge, participated in an interactive continuing legal education program that introduced the members to the court’s newest judges, and finally, enjoyed a reception where practitioners and members of the bench had the opportunity to network with each other. In Philadelphia later in the week, a group of lawyers and judges dedicated to reviving the Eastern District of Pennsylvania’s Chapter, which became dormant during the pandemic several years ago, gathered after work to discuss bringing the chapter back to life. Both events, one with an established mid-sized chapter and the other with a small but growing, newly reinvigorated chapter, exemplified the nature and importance of the chapters to supporting the federal practitioner and judiciary on a local level. The Federal Bar Association is stronger because it is rooted in the local chapters building and supporting the needs of their members on a local level, implementing national initiatives on a local level.

Although the chapters are active and independent branches of the Federal Bar Association, the national scale of the FBA brings the work of the chapters to another level. The interests and concerns of many chapters overlap, and the issues facing the federal practitioner are common across the country. The national reach of the Federal Bar Association provides for networking and connection to over 20,000 members, including more than 2,000 federal judges. The Federal Bar Association provides access to the largest community and knowledge base of federal practitioners and judges, and countless opportunities to connect and collaborate with practitioners from other circuits and districts.

Those connections also bring support for the interests and concerns of all federal practitioners and members of the judiciary. The national organization and staff support local chapters through numerous program templates, real-time membership reporting and rosters, management of membership renewal and training for chapter and circuit leadership. Local chapter members can connect with mentors across the country through the national Lift Up Leaders Mentorship program, or network with members from other districts at national meetings like Leadership Summit or the Annual Convention. Many local chapters provide some civics programming to their local community; through the resources of the national organization, chapters have access to countless civics education resources, and the opportunity to expand their civics programming to a national level through relationships with institutions such as the National Constitution Center and the Bolch Institute at Duke University. This is national reach, local impact.

Through the Federal Bar Association’s sections and divisions, practitioners can connect with attorneys practicing in their fields from the other side of the country. A federal criminal defense attorney in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania may find resources and support through the criminal law section beyond his local chapter. Judges come together in the Judiciary Division from all of our district courts, sharing ideas on how to better support the judiciary as a whole, while addressing concerns that may arise in their individual districts. Again – national reach, local impact.

And when it comes to the judiciary and the concerns of the federal practitioner, the Federal Bar Association’s national advocacy efforts are unsurpassed. Through its national advocacy efforts, the organization maintains an active presence in our nation’s capital, monitoring and participating in policy-making processes in Congress and the Executive Branch. This nonpartisan work focuses on issues addressing federal jurisprudence and legal practice. Through the work of the Federal Bar Association’s Government Relations Committee and the organization’s annual Capitol Hill Day, members are able to meet with members of Congress to discuss the Federal Bar Association’s policy priorities, including funding for the judiciary, concerns over judicial security, judicial caseloads, and the independence of the federal judiciary. Last year, members held over 200 meetings with members of Congress, most of which were with members’ home state representatives and senators, bringing those local connections to a national level. Again—national reach, local impact.

One final thought (for now) about that special relationship between the national organization and its chapters. When a chapter or a member is in crisis, our national membership rises to the help. Time and time again, in times of need, national is there to support the chapter. In the aftermath of national disasters like Hurricanes Katrina and Maria, members nationwide reached out to the impacted local chapters and members with offers of personal and professional accommodations, support, and offers to help rebuild. In 2016, through the efforts of Past President Judge Michael Newman and Judge Jay Zainey, the Federal Bar Association took Judge Zainey’s SOLACE initiative to the national level, and since then, members across the country have provided countless members with all levels of support.

Like many members of the Federal Bar Association, my first exposure to the organization was through my local chapter. The chapter provided opportunities for connection to fellow federal practitioners and for interaction with the local court. The chapter also opened leadership opportunities to me, which in turn led me to my first national event. From there, it was apparent that there was no shortage of ways to get involved at the national level, through committees, sections, and leadership. Like most of my Federal Bar Association colleagues, my network of FBA friends started locally, but soon reached nationally.

The FBA is truly an organization with national reach and local impact. We are large enough to have impact throughout the legal profession, but small enough to provide leadership and networking opportunities for our more than 100 chapters across all circuits. Our members have local impact with every program a chapter provides, and the organization reaches nationally with every part of its education and advocacy efforts, every time a member crosses chapter lines to become involved in a national civics endeavor, and every time a member supports a colleague somewhere else in the country. To those of you who have not yet felt that national reach, I encourage you to get involved with a section, join a national committee, or attend Leadership Summit in March. There is no shortage of opportunities for you at all levels. I look forward to seeing you at local chapter events or national meetings as I continue my year as your president, and as we continue to focus on our national reach and local impact!