In a significant move by the U.S. Department of Justice, the agency has imposed a ban on its attorneys from attending or speaking at events hosted by the American Bar Association (ABA). This decision marks the latest step in the ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and the nation’s largest voluntary lawyer organization.
A memo issued by U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, which was reviewed by Reuters, cited concerns over the ABA’s involvement in “activist causes” that the department believes conflict with its mission. One specific example noted in the memo was the ABA’s involvement in legal action aimed at preventing the Trump administration from cutting funding to foreign aid organizations.
“The Department is actively litigating against the ABA, yet continues to spend taxpayer dollars on ABA events,” Blanche stated. While acknowledging the ABA’s right to support activist causes, he emphasized that Justice Department employees should not take part in official events that could potentially compromise the department’s impartiality and its efforts to remain “fair, effective, and even-handed.”
The ABA, with approximately 150,000 paying members, has yet to issue a response to the memo. Historically, ABA events have served as a platform for the Justice Department to announce new policies, particularly in areas like corporate enforcement. For instance, former Attorney General Merrick Garland spoke at the ABA’s white-collar conference just last year.
However, the Trump administration has increasingly criticized the ABA, especially after the organization publicly warned that the president’s actions posed a threat to the rule of law. The ABA has also condemned attacks on judges and law firms by government officials.
In March, a White House spokesperson dismissed the ABA as an elitist group of “leftist lawyers.” Additionally, in February, Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson prohibited political appointees at the FTC from holding leadership positions within the ABA or attending its events.
The ABA has also come under fire for its diversity and inclusion initiatives, which are seen by critics, including some Republicans, as controversial. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi voiced her concerns in February, even threatening to strip the ABA of its role as the government-designated accreditor for law schools. Bondi also called for the elimination of the ABA’s diversity and inclusion standards for law schools.
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