March 20, 2026

President’s Message By Amy Coco

In 1776, 56 men signed a document that would alter the course of human history. Twenty-three of them were lawyers. That fact matters.

As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we are reminded that it was not merely poetry or prose. Instead, the Declaration was a legal document, a structured complaint against unchecked executive power. It alleged grievances. It pleaded principles. And it declared independence and separation under the rule of law.

The drafting reflects the deliberation and precision lawyers bring to their work. On June 11, 1776, the Second Continental Congress appointed a Committee of Five: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston. Franklin was the only non-lawyer. Jefferson was chosen to prepare the first draft, urged by John Adams, who reportedly told him, “You can write ten times better than I can.” What followed was not solitary authorship; it was legal collaboration and refinement. Franklin and Adams reviewed the draft. One of the most famous edits replaced Jefferson’s phrase “sacred and undeniable” with the now-enduring “self-evident.” The full Congress then debated the document for nearly 2.5 days. Approximately 80 changes were made. Language was tightened. Accusations were clarified. Jefferson’s longer charge that the King had “suffered the administration of justice totally to cease” became the more precise “He has obstructed the administration of justice.” Nearly a quarter of the draft was cut, including a controversial passage condemning the slave trade.

The lawyer-signers understood both the risks and the responsibilities. They were trained advocates, accustomed to evidence, structure, and consequence. They knew that by signing, they were pledging, in their own words, their “Lives, their Fortunes, and their sacred Honor.” They understood that law without independence becomes nothing more than power.

One of the most powerful lessons from that era comes not only from those who signed, but from those who struggled before doing so. John Dickinson, a respected lawyer and statesman, hesitated. He feared the consequences of separation. Yet when independence came, he served. Lawyers then, as now, wrestled with loyalty, risk, and duty.

The Declaration was followed by a Constitution designed to prevent the abuses it catalogued. The grievances against King George III included obstruction of justice, manipulation of courts, maintaining standing armies over civil authority, and undermining legislative processes. The Founders responded not with rhetoric alone, but

with structural guardrails: checks and balances, judicial independence, and divided powers. Those guardrails established to prevent abuses do not maintain themselves.

Democracies rarely collapse overnight. They erode gradually, through fear, misinformation, attacks on independent institutions, normalization of anger politics, and the weakening of civic trust. Institutions do not protect themselves. People must speak, and lawyers have a particular role and responsibility in speaking up.

We are not partisan actors when we defend due process. We are not political when we defend judicial independence. We are not ideological when we insist that facts matter, that elections must be trusted, that courts must remain impartial, and that professional ethics must prevail over personal loyalty. Instead, we are fulfilling our oath.

The lawyer-signers of the Declaration were not united in policy view. They debated. They revised. They disagreed. But they were united in one foundational conviction: the rule of law must stand above the will of any single leader.

As we prepare for the nation’s 250th anniversary, the ACBA, its members, and lawyers across the country have both an opportunity and a responsibility to elevate civic understanding of the Declaration and its legal legacy. The Declaration is not merely a historical artifact. It is a reminder that lawyers have always been central to the defense of liberty, as evidenced by their participation in the nation’s founding documents.

Speaking out may not require us to pledge our fortunes. But it may require courage, standing with unlikely allies, and rejecting scorched-earth rhetoric. It may require defending institutions even when the outcome of a case, an election, or a policy debate does not align with our personal preferences.

Benjamin Franklin is said to have warned, “We must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.” He was not urging agreement on every issue. Instead, he was urging shared commitment to the rule of law. The 250th anniversary should not be merely a celebration of the independence that was achieved. It should be a recommitment to independence preserved: judicial independence, professional independence, and the independence of thought that defines our profession.

The Declaration of Independence was drafted, revised and signed by lawyers. Lawyers gave it structure and permanence through the Constitution that followed. And today, its principles endure in the daily work of lawyers who protect due process, safeguard rights, and uphold the rule of law.

Democracy is not self-executing. It never has been. In 1776, lawyers helped launch the American experiment. In 2026, as we commemorate 250 years, may we be worthy not only of celebrating that legacy, but of upholding it.