Meeting the Moment: How Lawyers Can Unite to Protect Democracy and the Rule of Law

In this episode of On Record PR, our co-host, Gina Rubel, spoke with Katayun (Kathy) Jaffari, a trailblazing attorney and the current Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association. Under her leadership, the Association is charting a courageous course with its Meeting the Moment campaign—an initiative that highlights the vital role lawyers and legal institutions play in defending democratic values, judicial independence, and access to justice.

As the legal landscape evolves amid political polarization and attacks on the Rule of Law, Kathy’s voice serves as a beacon for civility, leadership, and constitutional fidelity. Today, we’ll explore how bar associations and law firms can draw inspiration from the Philadelphia Bar Association’s example and mobilize to defend our most cherished democratic principles.

Your leadership of the Philadelphia Bar Association comes at a time when constitutional values are under intense pressure. Can you share the driving vision behind Meeting the Moment” and how it came to life?

Kathy Jaffari described the “Meeting the Moment” initiative as a life-affirming response to a rapidly changing legal and social landscape, born out of conversations within the Delivery of Legal Services Committee (DLS) of the Philadelphia Bar Association. This committee, comprised of leaders from nonprofit legal service organizations, serves as a safe space for collaboration and support. In late 2024, committee members foresaw potential challenges in 2025 that could profoundly impact the most vulnerable communities in Philadelphia, prompting urgent reflection on how the Philadelphia legal community could respond.

Kathy, a corporate attorney herself, emphasized that regardless of practice area, lawyers play a critical role in sustaining the nation’s economy and democracy. Recognizing increasing societal and legal chaos, exemplified by abrupt executive orders and policy shifts, the Association sought to provide structure and support for members and the broader legal profession.

The initiative coalesced around a core question: “How can the legal community unite to protect the Rule of Law, defend democracy, and assist those whose rights are under attack?”

From that foundation, the Meeting the Moment campaign emerged with a three-pronged strategy:

1. Convening: Bringing together affected communities and legal stakeholders to identify problems and pathways forward.
2. Communicating: Creating platforms like Law Day 2025 to amplify collective voices, retake oaths, and reaffirm legal principles.
3. Collaborating: Partnering with local and national organizations to share resources, support vulnerable populations, and extend the initiative’s reach.

Kathy stressed that the initiative is more than just a campaign, it’s a movement, a sustained call to action to “show up, stand up, and speak up” in defense of judicial independence, access to justice, and constitutional integrity.

She concluded by recognizing the collective leadership of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s board, officers, staff, and members, crediting them with helping the organization meet its goals and surpass them, uniting in solidarity to become a voice for the legal community and the public it serves.

How is the Meeting the Moment initiative mobilizing legal professionals to defend the Rule of Law?

Kathy Jaffari described the current climate as chaotic, with an overwhelming volume of executive actions and legal shifts undermining stability. The initiative aims to anchor lawyers in their constitutional role by providing tools, platforms, and spaces to respond with clarity, unity, and purpose.

To date, more than 1,500 people have signed up for the six Meeting the Moment convenings, which covered topics including immigration, the LGBTQ+ community, the threat to education and disability rights, the federal funding free, the rule of law and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Interest in these events has contributed to a 30% increase in registrations for Philadelphia Bar Association events in FY25 vs. FY24. This level of engagement reflects a legal profession hungry for leadership and eager to protect the profession’s core values.

The Philadelphia Bar Association hopes these events will be a jumping-off point for individuals making connections, smaller group discussions about these issues, and initiatives to help some of the impacted communities.

For the Law Day of Action 2025 rally, more than 400 lawyers renewed their attorney’s oath outside City Hall in Philadelphia’s Dilworth Plaza as part of a national coalition effort. It was one of the largest events among the participating cities.

Importantly, the initiative refrains from partisan positioning. Instead, it focuses on policy literacy, legal implications, and ethical practice, helping lawyers from all sectors feel safe and empowered to engage in meaningful, lawful action.

For bar associations or law firms across the country who want to “meet the moment” but may not know where to start, what practical steps would you recommend?

As a large city bar association, Kathy said it is easier for the Association to speak on politically divisive issues. However, much of the program is not focused on politics, but rather on helping legal professionals deal with policy changes that have created real implications for how they practice and the advice they give to clients. The leadership of the Association feel that this focus has created an initiative that, in many ways, exists outside political debate and within the Association’s mission, which is to work for the betterment of the profession and to help keep legal professionals abreast of changes within the profession or that may impact their practices.

Other organizations and firms can follow their lead by simply finding venues for conversations that are on all our minds and giving people an outlet to air their concerns, whatever they may be, and to ask questions. The Association also continues to support the profession’s work in emphasizing and supporting employee self-care because we are all facing our usual stressors with the political environment as an added challenge.

Why is leadership in the legal community more critical than ever in today’s climate?

Individual attorneys want to see the legal community standing firm for the values it has always espoused, including judicial independence and the independence of the profession. The Philadelphia Bar Association has a unique role because its leaders and member can speak out in ways that individual law firms cannot, and they can make space for conversations that aren’t happening at the organizational level. The attendance at the Association’s Meeting the Moment events and at the Law Day rally is evidence that the legal community is looking for leadership on these issue and want to find ways for individuals to make an impact.

Gina and Kathy went beyond the core themes of the initiative. Their conversation covered additional timely and relevant topics including:

Emotional and Cultural Impact on Lawyers: Kathy and Gina discussed how the initiative provided hope when many legal professionals were feeling despair about the state of the law and democracy. Gina recalled that Law Day 2025, where hundreds of attorneys publicly retook their oaths, was the first day she “felt hopeful” as a lawyer in 2025. This underscores that Meeting the Moment isn’t just a strategic or procedural campaign, it’s emotionally restorative and culturally galvanizing for the legal community.

Support for Judges and Lawyers Facing Backlash: Kathy and Gina highlighted judges who fear making decisions and lawyers afraid of repercussions (like EEOC letters) for supporting DEI initiatives. The initiative provides a protective and empowering space for legal professionals navigating politically charged and high-risk terrain, reaffirming that the Association is actively defending legal independence.

Wellness and Lawyer Mental Health: Kathy emphasized the importance of wellness, linking it directly to the initiative’s goals. She shared that she spearheaded the Bar’s Wellness Committee over a decade ago, reinforcing that defending the Rule of Law also means safeguarding the well-being of those who uphold it. This ties back to resilience, particularly in chaotic times, offering a holistic approach to leadership and mobilization.

Philadelphia’s National Role and the Country’s 250th Anniversary: Looking ahead to America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, Kathy positioned Philadelphia as the epicenter for national leadership in defending democracy. The Bar Association prepares to lead in celebration and substance, continuing its work with “hope and light.”

Call to Action: Join and Support the Movement: Kathy invited lawyers, firms, and organizations, especially those unsure of where to begin, to start by creating spaces for dialogue, sharing timely resources, and prioritizing wellness. She underscored that everyone has a role, and the Bar Association stands ready to support and lead those efforts.

Protect Rule of Law Coalition: Gina shared information about the Protect the Rule of Law Coalition. The coalition was started by several people in legal marketing because they were being told they could not speak publicly about protecting the rule of law. As a result, pins were made that say “Rule of Law” in purple, an equal mix of red and blue, to wear in solidarity whenever possible. She encouraged everyone to check out https://www.protectruleoflaw.com/ to learn more and to order pins to quietly and respectfully speak out against what is happening in the legal industry.

Resources

• Philadelphia Bar Association Meeting the Moment Initiative: https://philadelphiabar.org/?pg=MeetingtheMoment
• Protect Rule of Law Initiative: https://www.protectruleoflaw.com/
• Resilience in Times of Crisis and Calm with Renee Branson: https://www.furiarubel.com/podcasts/episode-5-resilience-in-times-of-crisis-and-calm-with-renee-branson-certified-resilience-coach/
• Immigration Challenges Facing Employers Today: What You Need to Know: https://www.furiarubel.com/podcasts/immigration-challenges-facing-employers-today-what-you-need-to-know/
• Today’s Fight for the Rights of Union Workers with Deborah Willig: https://www.furiarubel.com/podcasts/todays-fight-for-the-rights-of-union-workers-with-deborah-willig/
• Video from Law Day 2025 Philadelphia: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ginafuriarubel_ruleoflaw-lawday-justiceforall-activity-7323888908872675329-vDay/