A large U.S. flag is seen on the facade of the Department of Labor headquarters in Washington, D.C., Sept. 8, 2025. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)
His email marks the latest step in the Trump administration’s effort to weaken the ABA, the nation’s largest association of lawyers and other legal personnel.
The Department of Justice implemented a similar policy last year and terminated more than $3 million in federal grants to ABA programs before a judge found that ending the funds was unconstitutional. The Federal Trade Commission likewise severed its ties with the ABA's antitrust arm, saying it "promotes the business interests of Big Tech."
Republicans have long argued the ABA promotes Democrat-aligned viewpoints and that its institutional presence in the legal world is a disadvantage to conservatives. The ABA's website touts that it is the "national voice of the legal profession" and showcases work that includes support for "LGBTQ+" initiatives, abortion access, stricter gun control measures, and diversity, equity and inclusion.
Jonathan Berry testifies during his Senate confirmation hearing on June 18, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images))
Berry wrote in his email to staff that the Labor Department lawyers' participation in the ABA would only serve to endorse what he viewed as an institutional problem.
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"There is genuine benefit to our attorneys engaging with the employer bar in ABA programs, but the benefit genuinely feeds the problem too: Our participation in ‘neutral’ ABA events contributes to institutional stature the ABA leverages to advance radical goals as if they were ‘neutral,’" Berry wrote. "No more."
Fox News Digital reached out to the ABA for comment.
Ashley Oliver is a reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business, covering the Justice Department and legal affairs. Email story tips to ashley.oliver@fox.com.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/labor-department-orders-lawyers-cut-ties-aba-slams-group-radical-activist-force