The Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA) has strongly objected to a summons issued by India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) to senior counsel Arvind Datar, who had provided legal advice to Care Health Insurance in an ESOP-related matter. SCAORA argues that targeting lawyers for offering legal opinions undermines both the independence of the legal profession and the …
On June 16, 2025, the American Bar Association (ABA) filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging a systematic policy of intimidation targeting law firms and attorneys. The ABA argues that President Trump has used executive power to coerce firms into dropping clients and causes that challenge his administration—violating the First Amendment and the …
President Trump’s proposed FY 2026 budget calls for the elimination of the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), threatening civil legal aid for millions of low-income Americans. If approved, funding would drop from $560 million to just $21 million for close-out costs, effectively ending LSC’s operations. LSC is the largest funder of civil legal aid in the …
Law firms that chose to appease Donald Trump during his pressure campaign are facing serious fallout. While four firms resisted and filed lawsuits—winning all their cases—others that struck deals with the Trump administration are now losing clients, partners, and credibility. Major firms like Willkie Farr & Gallagher and Paul Weiss are seeing high-profile departures and …
A new report by The New York Times reveals that although courts have blocked several of President Trump’s executive orders targeting law firms, the administration may still be achieving its broader goals. Four prominent firms—Perkins Coie, Jenner & Block, WilmerHale, and Susman Godfrey—fought back and won in court. But nine other firms, facing pressure and …
Seven litigation partners from Willkie Farr & Gallagher, including leaders of its San Francisco office, have left the firm to join Cooley. This follows internal backlash over Willkie’s controversial agreement with the Trump administration, in which the firm pledged $100 million in pro bono work and other concessions to avoid a damaging executive order. Cooley, …
In June 2025, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele escalated his crackdown on dissent, arresting prominent constitutional lawyer Enrique Anaya on contested charges of money laundering. Human rights groups say the move reflects a broader campaign to silence critics — including lawyers, journalists, and civil society leaders — many of whom have fled the country. Bukele, …
The legal landscape in Washington has exploded under Trump’s second term, with over 400 lawsuits filed against his administration—most of them in the capital. As top firms buckle under political pressure, public interest groups like Democracy Forward and the ACLU have stepped up, rapidly expanding their legal teams to meet the demand. Lawyers describe a …
This article challenges the traditional view of cause lawyers as inherently oppositional and leftist actors standing against a singular, monolithic state.
This article explores the dynamics of legal mobilization under authoritarian regimes, using post-colonial Hong Kong as a case study.