It is Critical We Stay Connected and Stand Together as a Community

We wrapped up our 2025 National Convention Series this week. I hope everyone had the opportunity to tune in to all or some of this year’s programming and connect with our incredible speakers and each other. As our rights, institutions, and democracy are facing almost daily attacks and the most vulnerable in our country have become targets, it is critical that we find ways to stay connected and stand together as a community.

It has been five months since Donald Trump took the oath of office and began his second term as president of the United States. In that time, we have seen unrelenting attacks on democratic institutions, civil rights, and the very constitutional order that serves as the foundation of the rule of law in the United States.

The administration has consistently attempted to use its power and influence to chill free speech and stifle dissent. In just the past few weeks, we have seen the President defame lawful protestors as “instigators, “paid troublemakers,” and “invaders.” Federal law enforcement has unjustly detained protestors and legal observers. The President has unleashed the military on protestors in Los Angeles and threatened to do so in other cities across the country.

This administration has targeted universities in an unabashed attack on academic freedom and detained, deported, and sought to deny entry to students of all immigration status for speech this administration disagrees with.

We have seen law firms targeted in an effort to cow those who might lead legal challenges against his many unlawful and unconstitutional actions and protect the most vulnerable among us. These and so many more extreme actions taken by this administration threaten our constitutional order and the rule of law.

The events we are witnessing in our nation are alarming and dispiriting. It will take our collective effort to protect our democracy and much time and tenacity to restore the rule of law. As we know all too well, it is much easier and takes much less time to break things than it does to repair them. We have a long road ahead of us.

Every step of the way, ACS has stood up, spoken out, and worked to combat these damaging policies, arm-in-arm with our members and partners. I am so grateful to be a part of this community, and I look forward to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with you in the coming months as we continue to stand up for our freedoms and the rule of law.

I also hope you will find ways to stay engaged this summer. If you are in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 2, please consider attending our annual National Supreme Court Term Review, which ACS is co-hosting in partnership with the Georgetown University O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, the Brennan Center for Justice, Ms. Magazine, Ms. Studios, and Feminist Majority Foundation. (For those who cannot attend this in-person event, we are hopeful it will be broadcast by C-SPAN. If this happens, we will share viewing information with the network.)

On July 17, ACS is proud to be a partner for Good Trouble Lives On, a national day of nonviolent action to respond to attacks posed on our civil and human rights by the Trump administration. Set on the anniversary of Congressman John Lewis's passing, peaceful actions are planned across the country to defend democracy and carry forward his legacy of "Good Trouble." So far more than 300 events, from rallies and marches to teach-ins, press conferences and vigils, have been planned for the day. To find out more about the day and events planned in your area visit the Good Trouble Lives On website.

We also can’t let current events keep us from striving for a better future for our Democracy. ACS’s 25^th anniversary is next year as is the U.S. 250^th anniversary. These two dates have me thinking about what democracy means to me. What do we want our democracy to look like in another 25 years? 250 years? We need to begin thinking about that now and making plans for how we can make them reality.

Our democracy has been tested in the past five months. It’s easy to get discouraged and become complacent; I do myself at times. But ACS was not just founded on confronting threats to our democracy, it was also founded on strengthening it and making the law a means to improve ALL people’s lives.

It is our collective commitment and engagement that will protect and strengthen our democracy. Thank you for being a part of this progressive legal movement, and please consider supporting our work in the months and years to come. Your support will allow us to continue and expand our work for another 25 years and beyond.

Academic Freedom, Equality and Liberty, Executive Order, First Amendment, Free Exercise, Free Speech, Immigration, Right to Protest