Umut Z. Türem. “Professional Liquidation in the Context of Autocratic Legalism: Lawyers, Class, and Status in Turkey, 2002–?.” Law & Social Inquiry, First View (2025): 1-32.
This article argues that discussions of autocratic legalism must include the legal profession alongside the judiciary, using Turkey as a case study. It shows that in contexts where the legal profession is historically tied to the state, autocratic regimes seek to control not only courts but also legal institutions such as bar associations. The article also highlights how broader policies, like the neoliberalization of legal education and a rapid increase in lawyer numbers under populist rhetoric, have fragmented and weakened the profession. This fragmentation has fostered apathy, especially among younger lawyers, undermining the profession’s collective strength and paving the way for intentional government attacks. The study introduces the concept of “professional liquidation” to describe how autocratic legalism dismantles the legal profession to consolidate power.