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
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Justice Department Repeatedly Making Unforced Errors Under Trump
The Washington Times reported on April 12 that senior DOJ officials themselves attribute the department’s growing courtroom difficulties to three compounding factors: the sheer volume of litigation (particularly immigration cases), an unprecedented…
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A key criminal case could soon get tossed because of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s comments
CNN reported on April 11 that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s public statements about Kilmar Abrego Garcia — a Salvadoran national whom the government wrongly deported to a mega-prison in El Salvador…
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Indonesia: Hold Perpetrators of Acid Attack Against Human Rights Defender Andrie Yunus Accountable
In early April 2026, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) renewed calls for the Indonesian government to hold accountable all those responsible for the March 12 acid attack on human rights…
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China: Human Rights Lawyer Jailed Over Planned EU Meeting Must Be Truly Free After Release
In April 2026, Amnesty International led an international call for China to guarantee that human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng would be released without restrictions upon completing a three-year prison sentence imposed after…
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Attorney General Ellison demands that federal attorneys adhere to ethics standards
On April 7, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison led a coalition of 22 state attorneys general in filing a formal comment opposing a proposed DOJ rule (OAG199) that would require state bar…
Upcoming Events
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