We are excited to share that the Gargoyle, the University of Wisconsin Law School’s alumni magazine, has published a new feature highlighting the work of Lawyers and Democratic Decline (LADD) — a global research initiative examining how lawyers and judges navigate moments of democratic crisis.
As democratic backsliding accelerates worldwide, understanding the role of legal professionals has never been more urgent. LADD brings together scholars studying the United States, Brazil, China, Egypt, Hungary, India, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, and other contexts where democratic institutions are under pressure. The project explores how lawyers resist authoritarianism, how they sometimes enable it, and how professional norms shape their choices under stress.
The article traces LADD’s origins, the vision behind the project, and the collaborative efforts that have helped build a growing international community of researchers focused on law, politics, and democratic resilience. It also highlights ongoing work to document threats against the legal profession and support comparative scholarship across political systems.
You can read the full piece in the Gargoyle here