Bar Foundation Continues To Fight For Access To Justice For All
By Niki T. Ingram, President of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation.
Many of you reading this article have served as arbitrators for the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia. Some of you, like me, may have been an arbitrator so often that you can’t count them. As you may remember, before the day officially begins, the arbitrators are called into one room where they are given instructions on the process. This concludes with the arbitrators being sworn in for the day. While you may zone out a bit because you know the drill, you are reminded, when you take the oath, that you are swearing to uphold the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Constitution of the United States and that what you are doing is serious, and it matters.
Imagine, the gravity that one must feel or should feel when taking the oath to be the president of the United States. The fact that you are swearing allegiance to this country and its rule of law is not something to be taken lightly. As we enter the home stretch of this election season, it is important to remember that our rule of law is vital to us, to our citizens, and the world, and that the oath of office should not be taken lightly.
Last year, The American Bar Association was so concerned about the existential threats to the rule of law that it created a Task Force for American Democracy to delve deeply into the current state of our democracy. The ABA report was released on August 2, 2024. It finds that there are serious challenges facing our democracy today, which are due to “the rise of misinformation, the normalization of political violence, and a growing disillusionment with democratic governance…” The Task Force emphasized how important it is for lawyers to play critical roles in combatting these challenges by quite simply defending and supporting the Constitution and the rule of law. The ABA calls upon lawyers to work in the community at large by helping to explain what the Constitution actually says, what it means to each of us and society as a whole, and to teach why it is incumbent upon us as lawyers to pour our energy into this work. What we should and can do means so much to our society. I urge you all to read the report in its entirety.
What, you might ask, does this have to do with the Philadelphia Bar Foundation? As you know, the Foundation is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. From its inception, the Foundation has been premised on the rights set forth in the Constitution. Our Articles of Incorporation charge us with preserving the American Constitutional form of Government. Our mission, as it is for our non-profit partners, is to ensure that the people of Philadelphia have access to civil justice and the protections provided under the Constitution. Unfortunately, we are not yet providing access to everyone who needs it, but we continue to work with our nonprofit partners, the Bar Association, and the courts to increase access. We realize, on a fundamental level, that these rights should be available to all of us if our society is to function as it should.
60 years after our birth, we at the Foundation still fight for access to justice for all and still fight to make sure that the words of the Constitutions of the United States and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have meaning. We are proud to continue the vision our founders had in 1964.
On November 9, we will celebrate our anniversary and our work. We will honor some of the most dedicated advocates in our city, including Atlantic Center for Capital Representation Director Marc Bookman, Troutman Pepper for their creation of the Pepper Center for Public Service, and the late Professor Frank McClellan, whose work touched so many lives. Each of our honorees has had a significant role in expanding and adapting the civil legal aid community, inspiring us all in our continued fight for justice.
Join us for our celebration at the Philly Justice Ball: For Justice Everywhere on Saturday, November 9 at 2300 Arena. We are deeply grateful for your support and ask that you remember the importance of those oaths we take.
Thanks, hope and joy, and remember to work!
PS
I suggest an oldie but a goodie this month. I just reread All The King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren. It was more compelling now than when I read it years ago. It tells the story of a charismatic governor who rises to power and is simultaneously loved and hated by many. The narrator tries to make sense of it all.