On May 1, 2025, over 1,500 lawyers gathered at Foley Square in New York City—and thousands more across 50 U.S. cities—as part of the National Law Day of Action to protest President Trump’s attacks on the legal system. Organized by legal professionals, the demonstrations highlighted growing concern over the president’s efforts to undermine the judiciary, target law firms, and erode legal norms.
Dressed in courtroom attire and carrying pocket Constitutions, attorneys reaffirmed their oaths and voiced their commitment to justice and the Constitution. Speakers and participants condemned recent executive actions against law firms, deportations, and the arrest of a judge, drawing parallels to the McCarthy era.
From students to senior attorneys, many expressed that staying silent would betray their professional ethics. As one protester put it: “If lawyers cannot stand up for the rule of law and for justice, who can?”