As the Trump administration escalates politically motivated firings, blocks congressionally approved funds, and pressures major law firms, a wave of smaller legal outfits has stepped in to defend democracy and the rule of law.
Key players include Lowell & Associates, Democracy Defenders Fund, and the Washington Litigation Group. These firms—staffed by veteran attorneys, ex-Justice Department prosecutors, and prominent white-collar lawyers—are taking on high-profile cases to reinstate wrongfully fired officials, block unlawful dismissals, and recover illegally withheld federal funds.
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Lowell & Associates, founded by Abbe Lowell, has represented former CDC director Susan Monarez, ex-National Security Advisor John Bolton, and others targeted by politically driven purges.
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Democracy Defenders Fund, launched by Norman Eisen, has challenged Trump’s efforts to fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, fought the dismantling of USAID, and restored funding to AmeriCorps.
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Washington Litigation Group, backed by former DOJ leaders and judges, is representing dozens of fired DOJ employees and recently won a case overturning Trump’s appointment of Alina Habba as U.S. Attorney in New Jersey.
These legal challenges—part of a surge of over 400 lawsuits against the administration—are widely viewed as essential resistance to authoritarian overreach. As Susan Corke of Democracy Defenders Fund put it: “The courts remain one of the last places where truth, accountability, and the rule of law still matter. No one, not even a president, is above the law.”
Read it here (Legal groups resist Trump authoritarian moves with pro bono work)