Dear John,
The United States has long stood as a worldwide example of a country built on fundamental concepts of freedom and fairness. LDAD works each day to ensure that the destruction of the historic East Wing of the White House does not become the enduring metaphor for the demise of these foundational principles.
We can succeed in our efforts through education and advocacy – encouraging people around the country to understand what is happening and engage in ways to achieve change. That is why, through a variety of initiatives, LDAD is offering learning opportunities to help provide the information people need to be informed civic leaders in their communities.
Toward that goal, we invite you to register for two upcoming national webinars:
Free Speech Under Siege: Echoes of McCarthyism features pre-eminent First Amendment scholars sharing their perspectives on why authoritarian regimes view free speech as an enemy and how the McCarthy era compares to actions being undertaken today. This webinar will be held on Tuesday, November 4, from 4:00 to 5:00 pm (Eastern). To register, please click here.
From the Social Media Feed to the Courtroom: How Judges and Jurors Remain Impartial will feature a distinguished panel of judges and lawyers in an important conversation about the impact of the constant barrage of social media and public commentary on judicial proceedings. This webinar will be held on Tuesday, November 20, from 4:30 to 5:30 pm (Eastern). To register, please click here.
In addition, LDAD’s Executive Director will be participating in a community forum sponsored by the Greater Newburyport Bar Association entitled, The Rise of Authoritarianism: What’s Happening to Our Rights? This program ( November 6, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm, Eastern) is available via livestream and can serve as a helpful prototype to others across the country interested in developing collaborative models of civic education. To register, please click here.
The following are links to other important recent programs in which representatives of LDAD participated:
LDAD Co-Founder and Board Chair Scott Harshbarger spoke at a Lifetime Learning webinar entitled The Health of Our Democracy and the Rule of Law in 2025, which is available for view by clicking here.
LDAD Executive Director Lauren Stiller Rikleen participated in a Speak Up For Justice webinar entitled Judges Under Siege – Lawyers Speak Up, which is available for view by clicking here.
LDAD volunteer James B. Kobak, Jr. has written an article for the Albany Times Union entitled, Attacks on Judges Have a Frightening Purpose. We are grateful to the many LDAD volunteers who provide important educational opportunities for their communities. To join LDAD in this work, please reach out via Meeting the Moment – A Call for Lawyers to Lead.
We hope you will consider supporting LDAD’s work by clicking here.
Thank you,
Lawyers Defending American Democracy
