University of Wisconsin–Madison

Month: June 2025

Tanzania: IBAHRI and Lawyers for Lawyers issue statement on the arbitrary detention and alleged torture of human rights defenders

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On June 10, 2025, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) and Lawyers for Lawyers condemned the arbitrary detention and reported torture of Ugandan lawyer Agather Atuhaire and Kenyan activist-journalist Boniface Mwangi by Tanzanian authorities. The two were arrested in Dar es Salaam while observing the treason trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu. Although …

Simpson (2008), “Warriors, Humanitarians, Lawyers: The Howard Government and the Use of Force”

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In backsliding democracies or states engaged in controversial military actions, attorneys serve as key actors in holding governments accountable to international law, interpreting complex legal standards like the crime of aggression, and ensuring legal debates remain part of public discourse.

Hsu (2019), “The Political Origins of Professional Identity: Lawyers, Judges, and Prosecutors in Taiwan’s State Transformation”

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This article argues that moments of political upheaval shape the legal profession’s collective identity, showing how divergent experiences under authoritarianism in Taiwan led judges, lawyers, and prosecutors to develop distinct normative commitments based on their roles in resisting or navigating state power during democratization.

Kwong (2024), “The Legal Profession in Battle: Cause Lawyers Versus State-Embedded Lawyers in Hong Kong’s Democratization”

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This article explores how the Hong Kong state counters cause lawyering by promoting “state-embedded lawyers” who defend regime stability, resulting in a polarized legal profession that mirrors broader societal divisions and reshapes public perceptions of the rule of law under mainland China’s influence.

Kazun and Yakovlev (2024), “Who Demands Collective Action in an Imperfect Institutional Environment? A Case Study of the Profession of Advocates in Russia”

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This article examines how ethically driven Russian criminal defense lawyers, motivated by professional values and exposure to rights violations, could form a collective force to strengthen professional associations, push for legal reform, and hold law enforcement accountable within a deteriorating democratic system.

Khalil (2023), “‘We Belong to the Streets’: Lawyers and Social Movements in Post-Revolution Egypt”

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This chapter argues that in authoritarian and transitional contexts like Egypt, the evolving precarity of the legal profession transforms cause lawyers into adaptive, embedded actors who blend legal advocacy with grassroots activism to resist repression and support social movements.

Trump administration urges court not to dismiss case against Wisconsin judge

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The Trump administration is pressing forward with criminal charges against Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan, who is accused of helping a man evade federal immigration agents in her courtroom. Dugan faces charges of obstruction and concealing an individual to prevent arrest after allegedly escorting the man out a back door. The DOJ argues that dismissing …