ABA Day in Washington

Personal visits from constituents are the most important part of "ABA Day in Washington" and a key reason for our success.

Former House Speaker Tip O'Neil's famous quote "All Politics Is Local," is absolutely true: it is crucial to the success of the organized bar's legislative efforts that bar leaders develop trusting, working relationships with their own Senators and Representatives. At the same time, it is vital that bar leaders be able to explain to Members of Congress why a particular issue is so important to their respective States, Districts and constituents.

The ABA strongly encourages ABA Day participants to visit as many Members of Congress as time permits, your own Delegation's Senators and Representatives, in particular, and others with whom you have a close relationship. It is most effective for constituents to request and schedule their own Hill meetings.

To increase meeting coordination and improve follow-up efforts, we are formalizing the past practice of working with the State/Local Bar Executive Director and/or Governmental Affairs staff to schedule meetings with State Congressional Delegations.

We have asked or will ask one or two “State Captains”to help coordinate constituent-based Hill visits with Members of Congress and/or their staff. These Captains have submitted or will submit the meeting requests and will work with GAO staff to coordinate the most effective meetings. The State Captains will also submit the meeting schedule information to the GAO staff using new online scheduling software. There are many benefits to ABA Day participants in using this online scheduling software; training will be provided via online/conference call on April 4 at 1:00 p.m. EDT. If you would like to volunteer to help with your State, please e-mail Julie Strandlie.

To increase the possibility of securing meetings, “State Captains” plan to submit their hill visit requests by the week of Monday, March 31, when Congress returns from the Spring District Work Period. Many Hill visits have already been requested and confirmed. Please contact your State Captain as soon as possible to discuss your interest in participating in certain meetings.

To help you plan your ABA Day participation, we offer the following guidance:

(1) Review the list of registered attendees to determine who, from your State or ABA entity, is attending ABA Day.

(2) Identify your own State Captain(s), who typically will be responsible for submitting meeting requests with most or all Senators and Representatives in that State’s Congressional Delegation.

(3) Contact your own State Captain to discuss: your participation in the State Delegation’s Meetings; your availability; your relationships (good or bad!) with the Delegation; and your expertise on the ABA Day issues of Legal Services Corporation funding and S. 186, the Attorney-Client Privilege Protection Act. For example, your experience and knowledge as a board member of your local legal services program could be very influential in persuading a Member to support increased LSC funding. ABA Grassroots Director Julie Strandlie will also be integrally involved in this process. Please e-mail her with any questions.

(4) Should you have a strong personal relationship with Member(s) of Congress beyond your own State Delegation, please request a meeting with him/her as well. Coordinate with that “State Captain” as appropriate.

(5) GAO lobbyists will also work with ABA entities to schedule additional meetings with Congressional Committee staff to discuss certain other issues, including issues covered in the Consultation Session conference calls. Please e-mail the GAO lobbyist responsible for a particular issue area/ABA entity to volunteer to help schedule and plan the meetings. GAO staff and their contact information are available online.

(6) The State Captains (and others who schedule Hill visits) will be asked to inform the GAO staff of requested and scheduled meetings using new online scheduling software. There are many benefits to ABA Day participants’ using this online scheduling software; training will be provided via an online/conference call on April 4 at 1:00 p.m. EDT. (Log-in information will be emailed separately.)

NOTE TO BAR ASSOCIATION/ACCESS TO JUSTICE LEADERS: If you are attending ABA Day with a State or Local Bar Association group, your Bar Executive or lobbyist is likely the “State Captain” and he/she has already requested meetings for your entire group. The “State Captain” is already working with GAO staff and will be in touch with you directly regarding your meeting schedule.

NOTE TO ABA LEADERS: If you are attending ABA Day representing an ABA entity, the GAO lobbyist who handles particular issues of interest to your group may schedule additional meetings on your behalf with relevant Congressional Committee staff. The GAO lobbyist will arrange those meetings and contact you. Please also contact your State Captain to complete your constituent-based visits on the ABA Day issues of LSC funding and S. 186, the Attorney-Client Privilege Protection Act.

Emphasizing the theme that "all politics is local," it is critical to our success as bar leaders to be able to explain to Members of Congress why a particular issue is so important to their respective States, Districts, and constituents.

To assist you to prepare for your meetings, we offer the following guidance:

(1) Prepare for your meetings before you arrive in D.C. by using the ABA's Congressional Visit Checklist. It is very important to be knowledgeable about the Member(s) of Congress with whom you will meet.

• Visit the ABA Grassroots Advocacy Center to find out about a Member's background or voting record.
• Visit the ABA Day Issues Resources pages to learn more about the ABA Day issues, along with a Member's record of support for the ABA Day Priority Issues.
• Learn how the issues you will be lobbying on directly impact your State, your district, your clients, your law practice, the justice system, etc. We will provide the talking points you will need to intelligently discuss the ABA Day issues with your Members of Congress. We ask you to tie the importance of these issues back to the Members' State/district and to constituent needs. (To help you, the ABA Day Issue Resources Page for LSC, will include a chart showing the effects on each State of the Administration's requested $39.6 million funding cut.)

(2) Attend the ABA Day Opening Session (Attendance is required as a prerequisite to participating in hill visits.) During this session you will learn more about how to effectively communicate the organized bar’s message during Hill visits, the importance of establishing and building relationships with Members of Congress and their staff, and how to have fun while doing it. You will also learn more about the substantive legislative issues that will be the primary focus of ABA Day 2008 Hill visits. Review the ABA's Suggestions for Congressional Hill Visits.

For more information, review the ABA Day Meeting schedule, the ABA Day Issue Resources webpages, or for assistance, please e-mail Julie Strandlie or call her at (202) 662-1764.