This section features curated news articles on the role of lawyers and judges in democratic decline in the U.S. and globally. It highlights how legal professionals are implicated in, impacted by, or push back against authoritarianism and democratic backsliding. Each post includes a brief summary or commentary that connects current events to broader scholarly debates on the legal profession and the defense of democratic norms.
News Regarding Lawyers
Lawyers Against Democratic Decline
2026 WILJ Symposium on Lawyers, Judges, and Creeping Authoritarianism
On February 12–13, 2026, the Wisconsin International Law Journal Symposium—co-sponsored by the Lawyers and Democratic Decline (LADD) project—brought scholars and practitioners to the University of Wisconsin Law School in Madison for two days of conversation …
February 17, 2026
Tunisia: Prominent Lawyer Arbitrarily Detained
In a February 10, 2026 news release, Human Rights Watch says Tunisian authorities are arbitrarily detaining prominent lawyer and human rights defender Ahmed Souab, who was convicted on terrorism-related charges linked to remarks he made …
February 10, 2026
Judicial misconduct complaint filed by Justice Dept. against Judge James Boasberg is dismissed
A federal appeals court judge, Jeffrey Sutton, dismissed a judicial misconduct complaint the United States Department of Justice filed against James Boasberg, ruling that the department failed to provide sufficient evidence to substantiate allegations that …
February 2, 2026
A California lawyer takes the civil rights fight home to Minneapolis
In this column, Anita Chabria profiles James Cook, an Oakland civil rights lawyer who has been spending months in Minneapolis helping people swept up in a federal crackdown—protesters, immigrants, and even U.S. citizens—often pro bono. …
February 1, 2026
Venezuela announces amnesty bill that could lead to mass release of political prisoners
Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodríguez announced an “amnesty” bill that, if approved by the ruling party–controlled National Assembly of Venezuela, could lead to the release of hundreds of people detained for political reasons, including opposition …
January 30, 2026
Statement of ABA President Michelle A. Behnke Re: Shootings in Minneapolis
On January 26, 2026, American Bar Association President Michelle A. Behnke issued a statement responding to the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, both U.S. citizens, during encounters with immigration agents in Minneapolis. …
January 26, 2026
Renewing the Commitment of Big Firm Lawyers?
This piece examines how large U.S. law firms have responded to political pressure from the Trump administration, especially efforts to punish firms representing government critics. While some firms settled or retreated from controversial litigation, others …
January 22, 2026
The Legal Profession’s Duty to Hold Attorney General Pam Bondi Accountable
This article argues that the legal profession has an ethical obligation to hold Attorney General Pam Bondi accountable for actions that allegedly undermine the rule of law and professional standards within the U.S. Department of …
January 20, 2026- Read More
Attacks Against Legal Profession
Travel ban and judicial control on lawyer Necat Çiçek not lifted
On February 24, 2026, the Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court held the eighth hearing in the case against lawyer Necat Çiçek, who is being prosecuted over his legal work and participation in press statements. Çiçek …
February 24, 2026
Condemning lengthy prison sentences imposed on Turkish lawyers for lawful professional and human rights work
A coalition of international legal and human rights organizations, including the New York City Bar Association, issued a joint statement condemning the January 28, 2026 convictions of 10 ÖHD lawyers and 20 TUAD executives/staff by …
February 19, 2026
Erdoğan appoints controversial prosecutor as justice minister, sparking opposition backlash
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has appointed İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek as Turkey’s new justice minister, prompting a sharp backlash from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). The CHP argues the move confirms …
February 12, 2026
Pakistan Arrests Prominent Human Rights Lawyers Amid Crackdown on Dissent
Pakistani authorities arrested human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, while they were traveling to a court hearing in Islamabad. The arrests, reportedly carried out with force and without …
January 23, 2026
‘Endangered lawyer’ day highlights US justice system’s plummeting standing
The United States has been named the focus of the 2026 International Day of the Endangered Lawyer, marking it as a country where the rule of law is under threat due to political intimidation of …
January 22, 2026
Trump’s Second-Term Challenges to the Judiciary – Interview with law professor Steve Vladeck
A PBS NewsHour segment examines how President Trump’s second-term policies are placing unprecedented strain on the U.S. judicial system. Constitutional law professor Steve Vladeck argues that recent executive actions—especially on immigration enforcement, including proposed warrantless …
January 22, 2026
Kazakhstan Disbars Lawyer Who Defended Chechen Refugee
Kazakhstani lawyer Murat Adam has been disbarred following a complaint by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which accused him of discrediting law enforcement through social media posts. Adam, who previously defended Chechen refugee Mansur Movlaev, …
January 16, 2026
Fierce government attacks on Supreme Court part of campaign of delegitimization
n a January 14, 2026 analysis, The Times of Israel reports that senior Israeli ministers have escalated personal and institutional attacks on the Supreme Court, framing it as an illegitimate “enemy of the people” rather …
January 14, 2026- Read More
Lawyers Facilitating Democratic Decline
Pro-Trump attorneys push executive order that would give Trump sweeping power over elections: Sources
According to ABC News, a network of pro-Trump attorneys and allies is promoting a 17-page draft executive order that they say could give President Donald Trump sweeping authority over how U.S. elections are run. The …
March 1, 2026
EU sanctions Russian officials over trials, prisons and crackdowns on dissent
The European Union imposed sanctions on eight Russian individuals over alleged serious human rights violations, repression of civil society and democratic opposition, and actions undermining democracy and the rule of law in Russia. Those listed …
February 23, 2026How Trump and Bondi transformed the DOJ to push his agenda and challenge detractors
In a PBS NewsHour report (Feb. 17, 2026), Ali Rogin examines how the Trump administration and Attorney General Pam Bondi have reshaped the U.S. Department of Justice. The report highlights a sharp decline in DOJ …
February 17, 2026
Trump instructs spy agencies to provide intelligence to his ‘Stop the Steal’ lawyer
President Donald Trump has directed the CIA and other U.S. intelligence agencies to give classified election-related intelligence to Kurt Olsen, a former Trump campaign lawyer who helped lead post-2020 election challenges and was later hired …
February 12, 2026
Turkish Court Blocks Erdogan Rival’s Presidential Path
A Turkish court has rejected jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu’s legal challenge against the cancellation of his university degree, a ruling that further jeopardizes his ability to run for president in 2028. Without a valid …
January 23, 2026
Court Watchers Warn Supreme Court Is Enabling Executive Overreach Under Trump
In a critical assessment of the U.S. Supreme Court’s role in 2025, court watchers argue that the justices — particularly Chief Justice John Roberts — have largely enabled President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda, weakening the …
December 24, 2025
Congressional Letter on DOJ Ethics and Conflicts of Interest
In December 2025, a bipartisan group of Members of Congress sent a formal letter to Attorney General Pamela Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche raising serious concerns about potential conflicts of interest and ethical …
December 19, 2025
Poland’s Supreme Court Rejects EU Authority Over Justice System
Poland’s rule-of-law crisis escalated after a group of Supreme Court judges—appointed during the former Law and Justice (PiS) government’s controversial judicial overhaul—issued a resolution rejecting the European Union’s right to regulate Poland’s justice system. They …
December 3, 2025- Read More
News Regarding Judges
Targets and Resistance
Federal judges face threats after ruling against the Trump administration
A CBS News 60 Minutes investigation reports that federal judges who rule against President Trump’s agenda are increasingly facing intimidation and violent threats, including “swatting,” bomb threats, doxxing, and other harassment aimed at judges and …
March 1, 2026Illinois Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Threatening to Kill Federal Judge
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida announced that Eric James Rennert (56), of Champaign, Illinois, was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for sending multiple threatening emails to a U.S. …
February 26, 2026
Trump’s vicious attacks on judges fuel his bid for unchecked power
Steven Greenhouse argues that Donald Trump’s recent tirade against supreme court justices (after they ruled against his tariff policy) is not an isolated outburst, but part of a broader, intentional campaign by Trump and key …
February 24, 2026
The price of public life: Judges and other officials doxed, swatted, threatened with death
A CBS News investigation documents a sharp rise in threats targeting U.S. public officials—especially judges—amid a political climate where online harassment is increasingly common and sometimes escalates into real-world violence. The story begins with a …
February 19, 2026
Albanian PM seeks to stop judiciary from suspending ministers
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said his government will change the law to prevent ministers from being suspended while under criminal investigation, after a court suspended Deputy PM Belinda Balluku in November over alleged tender …
February 16, 2026
Judge reads death threats during hearing on Trump decision to end legal protections for Haitians
A federal judge, Ana Reyes (U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.), read aloud death threats and profane messages she received after ruling that the Trump administration cannot immediately end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians …
February 12, 2026
New judicial ethics code says judges may speak out against ‘illegitimate’ attacks
A new federal judiciary ethics opinion clarifies that judges may publicly defend the courts (and even judicial colleagues) against “illegitimate” criticism and attacks that threaten judicial independence or the rule of law—so long as they …
February 12, 2026
Judge in Minnesota tries to keep Trump administration in check during crackdown
A federal judge in Minneapolis sharply criticized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for repeatedly failing to follow court orders in lawsuits filed by people arrested during the Donald Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Chief U.S. District …
January 29, 2026- Read More
