The article examines how cause lawyers in authoritarian and conflict-affected societies balance legal professionalism with political commitment, using interviews and the concept of “legitimation work” to reveal evolving roles shaped by violence and transition.
The article argues that in Russia, collective action by criminal defense lawyers can drive social change during periods of crisis, but its effectiveness depends on the institutional strength of legal organizations and the stance of their professional elites.
The article argues that in authoritarian and transitional contexts, cause lawyers often defy traditional roles by challenging state-aligned bar associations, supporting contentious movements, and using unconventional tactics to confront judicial and political oppression.
The essay argues that Thai cause lawyers’ conflicting views on recent coups reveal how the rule of law is shaped by national identity, personal experience, and ties to social movements, rather than a universal legal standard.
The article argues that in Pakistan’s hybrid regime, lawyer-leaders and political parties, rather than courts alone, played a crucial role in judicial restoration, challenging traditional legal mobilization theories based on political liberalism.
China’s legal profession has rapidly privatized, leading to greater lawyer organization and social advocacy within the one-party state, despite ongoing government control.
Cause lawyers in Myanmar use legal formality to promote justice and public accountability, challenging state power, but persistent impunity undermines trust in the law’s effectiveness.
The article examines the dual and often conflicting roles of lawyers during revolutions, balancing their duty to uphold legal order with their responsibility to support revolutionary change and help shape new legal systems.
The essay situates China’s Human Rights Lawyers within authoritarian legality studies, revealing how rights lawyers navigate China’s courts to pursue social activism amid the state’s efforts to use law while maintaining political control.
The article explores how lawyers, though typically guardians of the legal order, played a pivotal and often paradoxical role in revolutionary movements by balancing their professional duties with commitments to political change.