A Reuters investigation reveals that President Trump’s aggressive campaign against major U.S. law firms is chilling pro bono work and weakening legal defenses for vulnerable populations. In a stark break from precedent, Trump has issued executive orders targeting law firms for taking on cases related to immigration, LGBTQ rights, and challenges to his administration. The …
In a troubling escalation, federal judges across the U.S. who have ruled against President Trump are facing a surge in harassment and threats. According to a July 31 report by Fortune and the Associated Press, judges have been subjected to coordinated intimidation tactics known as “pizza doxings”—unwanted food deliveries in the name of Daniel Anderl, …
In a bold move, the prestigious law firm Milbank has joined a legal battle to defend the sanctuary city policies of Newark, Jersey City, Hoboken, and Paterson. Prominent attorneys including former Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal have agreed to steeply reduce their hourly rates—Katyal, who normally charges $3,250 per hour, will now work for just …
In 2025, over 200 Department of Justice (DOJ) employees were fired, with thousands more resigning or being pushed out amid a politically charged environment. Many of the dismissals, including that of immigration attorney Erez Reuveni, appeared tied to resistance against politicized directives. Reuveni filed a whistleblower complaint after allegedly being asked to mislead judges and …
On July 30, 2025, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, citing human rights abuses and political persecution in the case against former President Jair Bolsonaro. De Moraes, who is overseeing Bolsonaro’s trial for allegedly plotting to overturn his 2022 electoral defeat, faces asset freezes under the Global Magnitsky Act. This …
On July 28, 2025, Lawyers Defending American Democracy (LDAD), its Maryland chapter (MD-LDAD), the Lawyers Society for the Rule of Law Institute (SRLI), and retired Judge J. Michael Luttig filed an amicus curiae brief in support of federal judges targeted by a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Department of Justice. The case challenges a Standing …
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a formal complaint against District Judge James Boasberg, accusing him of misconduct and demanding his removal from a key deportation case. The complaint stems from Boasberg’s reported private remarks expressing concern that the Trump administration might ignore court rulings—comments DOJ officials claim undermine public trust in the judiciary. The …
In a lecture at NALSAR University, Senior Advocate Raju Ramachandran emphasized the need for a transparent and constitutionally grounded mechanism for removing judges in India to ensure a balance between judicial independence and accountability. Drawing on his experience with the Justice V. Ramaswami impeachment case—the country’s first attempted judicial removal—he warned against the judiciary’s growing …
In a speech at the Ninth Circuit’s judicial conference, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan expressed strong concerns about the Court’s increasing reliance on the “shadow docket” — emergency rulings issued without full briefing, oral arguments, or detailed explanation. She urged caution, noting that such untransparent decisions can undermine lower courts and judicial accountability. Kagan’s …
Melissa Crouch, “Judicial Loyalty to the Military in Authoritarian Regimes: How the Courts Are Militarized in Myanmar.” Law & Social Inquiry, vol. 48, no. 2 (2023): 632–59. Summary: While scholars have considered the role of courts in authoritarian regimes generally, less attention has been paid to judicial-military relations. In this article Crouch considers how courts …