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 on “Challenges Posed to Judges and Lawyers by Creeping Authoritarianism,” with panels spanning judicial behavior and constraint (including cases from …
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 interference (which she denies). The proposal deepens a standoff with Albania’s anti-graft prosecutors (SPAK), who have asked parliament to lift …
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 by the administration to investigate the 2020 election. A CIA spokesperson said the agency is ensuring Olsen has the access …
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 while a lawsuit proceeds. At a Thursday hearing, she refused to pause (stay) her earlier order and said judges “will …
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 a politically driven judicial campaign against the party, citing Gürlek’s role in investigations and prosecutions targeting opposition figures and municipalities, …
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 do so in a measured way. The guidance comes amid escalating political pressure on judges, including rhetoric from President Donald …
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 outside court while representing defendants in the “conspiracy against state security” case. Souab was sentenced on October 31, 2025 to …
On February 10, 2026, the U.S. Justice Department said it asked federal prosecutors to identify the “most egregious” cases of judges allegedly obstructing President Donald Trump’s agenda, information the department says could help Congress consider responses including impeachment referrals. The move escalates the administration’s public campaign against judges who have blocked parts of its immigration …
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 he made improper remarks about Donald Trump during a closed-door meeting of the Judicial Conference of the United States. The …
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. The piece argues that while street clashes dominate headlines, the quieter legal battle over detentions, due process, and government transparency …