Analyzes the role of investigators in the Russian criminal justice process.
Archive
Solomon, Jr. (1987), “The Case of the Vanishing Acquittal: Informal Norms and the Practice of Soviet Criminal Justice”
Explains the institutional reasons behind the decrease in acquittals following the death of Stalin due to the fears of judges and prosecutors of being held accountable for bringing unsustainable cases.
Newcity (2005), “Why Is There No Russian Atticus Finch? Or Even a Russian Rumpole”
An exploration of the differences in the societal expectations of lawyers in the United States and Russia, concluding that the sort of respect afforded to Atticus Finch is notably absent in Russia.
Khozhdaeva and Rabovski (2016), “Strategies and Tactics of Criminal Defenders in Russia in the Context of Accusatorial Bias”
Analysis of the institutional weakness of criminal defense lawyers in Russia due to the informal coalition between judges and prosecutors.
Chua (2019), “Legal Mobilization and Authoritarianism”
An examination of legal power in the lens that authoritarianism is all over.
Goldstein (2022), “The Attorney’s Duty to Democracy: Legal Ethics, Attorney Discipline, and the 2020 Election”
An analysis of the roles that attorneys have played in facilitating democratic backsliding internationally to draw lessons for the American legal ethics regime.
National Judicial College joins in national statement defending judicial independence
On May 1, 2025, the National Judicial College (NJC) joined several major judicial organizations in issuing a powerful joint statement defending judicial independence amid escalating threats and political pressure. The statement reaffirms that judges must …
American Legal Profession under Attack: Lessons from Abroad
On Law Day 2025, the American Bar Association warned that the U.S. legal profession is facing growing political pressure and retaliation, echoing patterns seen in authoritarian regimes like Belarus and Poland. Judges and lawyers in …
Amicus Brief: Solo and Small Firm Lawyers Support Susman Godfrey LLP
This document is an amicus brief filed by 777 solo and small firm lawyers in support of Susman Godfrey LLP’s challenge to a 2025 Executive Order issued by President Trump. The brief argues that the order threatens constitutional rights, undermines legal ethics, and endangers the ability of independent lawyers to represent clients—especially those who are politically disfavored. Readers will find a detailed legal argument for why the order should be struck down as unconstitutional.
Piomelli (2009), “The Challenge of Democratic Lawyering”
Democratic lawyers believe-as much of the rest of U.S. society and the bar do not-that ordinary people, acting collectively with peers, receptive professionals, and other allies, can and must play a leading role in efforts to reshape our society and political