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BRI Works Alongside Legal Organizations to Advance Civic Education

AS
by Ally Silva on

<p>For the past 25 years, the Bill of Rights Institute has worked to create meaningful partnerships and outreach opportunities to advance civic and history education. </p>

<p>Part of that work has included working with legal organizations, whose members share a deep commitment to civics and constitutional principles.&nbsp;</p>

<p>BRI was proud to support the ABOTA Foundation&#8217;s recent 2024 Civics Summit. The American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) is a national organization of trial lawyers dedicated to equal justice in a vibrant and civil democracy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>BRI staff met legal professionals and teachers passionate about their work, and had the opportunity to engage with Yale University Professor Akhil Reed Amar. Amar lectured on his book, &#8220;The Words that Made Us,&#8221; in which he argues that what unites our nation are the Founding documents, a vision that BRI regularly shares with civics and history teachers and students.</p>

<p>In May, BRI staff traveled to Albany, NY, where Institute President and CEO David Bobb served on a panel on trends in civic education for the New York State Bar Association Civics Convocation. The event included keynote remarks from Judge Rowan Wilson, chief judge of the New York Court of Appeals, and an address from Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Bobb also served as a panelist for the 2023 Indiana Bar Foundation Civics Summit, where he discussed the national civics landscape and Indiana’s role. He also reflected on America’s 250<sup>th</sup>&nbsp;birthday in 2026 and how we can overcome some of the division and polarization in our country today.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Civic friendship can be reconstituted in America, but it’s going to take a lot of hard work,” Bobb told attendees.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Late last year, BRI was also proud to receive support from the Texas Bar Foundation, the nation’s largest charitably funded bar foundation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Texas Bar Foundation’s generous $10,000 grant will support the Bill of Rights Institute’s professional development programs in Texas, where the Institute currently works with thousands of civics and history teachers.</p>

<p>BRI has been proud to work alongside these organizations to lead a conversation on the importance of civic education. More information on the Institute’s work can be found on the BRI website at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.mybri.org/">www.mybri.org</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>