Our Mission
The Lawyers and Democratic Decline (LADD) project brings together an international community of scholars investigating the role of lawyers in resisting — and at times enabling — authoritarianism in contexts of democratic backsliding. Through collaborative research, comparative analysis, and public events, LADD explores how legal professionals navigate repression, uphold democratic norms, and negotiate their professional identity in times of political crisis.
Updates
News
Trump Fires U.S. Attorney Who Defended Court Limits on Immigration Raids
Michele Beckwith, the acting U.S. attorney in Sacramento, was abruptly fired by President Donald Trump just hours after reminding Border Patrol officials that immigration raids in her district must comply with federal court orders. On …
October 1, 2025
Labour Leaders Warn Against Political Attacks on Judges
At the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, attorney general Richard Hermer KC and justice minister Sarah Sackman condemned recent political attacks on judges as dangerous, intentional, and corrosive to the rule of law. Hermer warned …
September 29, 2025
Tajikistan lawyer wrongfully held for a decade
Buzurgmehr Yorov, one of Tajikistan’s most fearless human rights lawyers, has been unjustly imprisoned for nearly ten years. He is currently serving a 23-year sentence for defending political opposition leaders, in violation of his fundamental …
September 29, 2025
Former special counsel Jack Smith warns that rule of law is ‘under attack’
In his first public remarks since leaving the Justice Department, former special counsel Jack Smith cautioned that the rule of law is facing unprecedented threats. Speaking at George Mason University, Smith condemned political interference in …
September 25, 2025
Legal groups resist Trump authoritarian moves with pro bono work
As the Trump administration escalates politically motivated firings, blocks congressionally approved funds, and pressures major law firms, a wave of smaller legal outfits has stepped in to defend democracy and the rule of law. Key …
September 23, 2025- More News
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