Project on Autocratic Legalism (PAL): The Project on Autocratic Legalism (PAL) examines how rising autocrats use legal mechanisms to consolidate power—and how law can also serve as a tool of resistance. The team comprises scholars from diverse countries, disciplinary backgrounds, and research traditions. PAL operates as an International Research Collaborative (IRC) within the Law and Society Association and was selected as the inaugural topical laboratory in the Association’s Global Collaboration Program (GCP). One of the project’s key features is the PALcast, a podcast hosted by Fabio de Sá e Silva and sponsored by the University of Oklahoma, which explores the project’s conceptual debates and research findings through interviews and discussions released every month or two.
The Milt and Judi Stewart Center on the Global Legal Profession is focused on the unprecedented challenges lawyers are facing around the world and developing research and training materials to assist current and future attorneys in their understanding of international legal systems. The Center has a three-part mission: to engage in research that advances knowledge about the global legal profession; engage with, and learn from, legal professionals in different jurisdictions with a particular focus on the Global South; and build global partnerships with other law schools to enhance the impact of the profession throughout the world.
The Center for Empirical Research on the Legal Profession (CERLP) is committed to empirical research and public engagement on issues relating to the legal profession. Building on the strengths of UCI Law faculty, the center plays an important role in connecting the law school, UC Irvine, and local, regional, national and global communities of lawyers and scholars interested in the future of the legal profession.
The Lawyer Support Project is a national initiative launched in response to President Trump’s March 22, 2025 Memorandum directing the DOJ to pursue professional sanctions against lawyers who challenge the federal government in court—including retroactive cases from his previous term. Spearheaded by the Association of American Law Schools and a network of legal scholars, the Project provides expert support to attorneys targeted under this directive. It offers confidential case intake, connects lawyers with academic experts for consultation or testimony, and tracks the broader impact of these actions on the legal profession. The Project defends not only individual attorneys, but also the independence of the legal system itself.