American Bar Association task force mobilizes lawyers to combat rising antisemitism

The American Bar Association's presidential task force to combat antisemitism, established by ABA President Mary Smith in April, is rallying lawyers and others across the United States to address the increasing incidence of antisemitism in the country.

Co-chaired by Barbara Mendel Mayden and Mark Schickman, the task force is set to release a comprehensive report in August 2025. This report will detail the current state of antisemitism in the US, outline the legal profession’s efforts to combat it and suggest actionable solutions for redress.

“Antisemitic violence and hate rise in times of social and political unrest, so it is no surprise that antisemitic episodes in America doubled between 2017 and 2022, and have quadrupled again since then,” said Schickman. “Our task force’s job is to mobilize the ABA, other bars, and more than a million American lawyers to stand up to the epidemic of antisemitic hate and bias in communities throughout the country.”

The task force has established several working groups focusing on various areas to achieve its objectives. These include developing educational programs to raise awareness among younger students, promoting antisemitism awareness in universities and civic organizations, facilitating programs within the ABA and other bar associations both nationally and internationally, providing tools for law firms to address antisemitism internally and within their communities, monitoring and developing relevant laws and policies, and engaging with government entities and national organizations to leverage expert resources and expertise.

In February 2023, the ABA House of Delegates adopted a policy condemning antisemitism. Following this, FBI Director Christopher Wray testified that antisemitism in the United States had reached historic levels, with Jewish people, who represent about 2.4 percent of the American population, accounting for roughly 60 percent of all religious-based hate crimes. This alarming statistic prompted the ABA Board of Governors to create the task force in February.

Schickman has been actively involved in raising awareness through events such as the webinar “How to be an Anti-Antisemite: Responding to the Growth of Antisemitism in 21st Century America” and a chair chat with UC Berkeley School of Law dean Erwin Chemerinsky on “Antisemitism and Free Speech: Civil Rights and the Supreme Court.”

Additionally, the ABA Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice has implemented a 21-day practice on combating antisemitism. This initiative aims to enhance participants' awareness, empathy, compassion, and determination to support religious freedom.

“America’s lawyers can be a powerful counterweight to the lies and malice which fuel the current rise in antisemitism,” said Mayden and Schickman. “This task force is working to support, expand, and facilitate that important role of standing firm for truth and justice.”