A task force from the American Bar Association is urging attorneys to defend democracy

against authoritarianism in the country.

In a statement, members of the task force urged attorneys to, quote quote answer the clarion call to defend

America's constitutional democracy and the rule of law by getting involved in

election efforts. Joining me now to discuss the task force's work are its co-chairs.

Jay Johnson, former Secretary of Homeland Security under President Obama,

and Jay Michael Lutig, a former appeals court judge and one of the nation's leading conservative

legal voices. We should note by the way that our own Judy Woodruff is a member of

this task force. Gentlemen, welcome to you both. Secretary Johnson, you

liken this effort to doctors on the front lines responding to the

deadly COVID-19 pandemic. Why the urgency behind this call to lawyers?

Democracy is at stake.

We saw in 2016, 2017 how fragile our constitutional norms can be

if there are those who are determined to try to push the envelope to

the breaking point. That environment continues. There is nothing to suggest that the threat stream from the challenges to our democracy have

at all dissipated.

Lawyers are uniquely situated because of our legal training, the oath we take to support and defend the

Constitution, and our ability to resolve conflict and mediate conflict.

We're in a unique situation to help voters, to help Americans participate in the democracy,

encourage participation in the democracy, and try, most importantly, in my judgment,

to turn down the rhetoric, the overheated rhetoric.

We're concerned about the rise of political violence

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