In a conversation with Amsterdam Law School, Professor Scott Cummings (UCLA) warns that the United States is undergoing severe democratic backsliding during Donald Trump’s second term. According to Cummings, Trump is systematically attacking independent institutions …
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Maldives: Judiciary’s Independence Threatened
Human Rights Watch has called on the Maldives government to reinstate three Supreme Court justices—Dr. Azmiralda Zahir, Mahaz Ali Zahir, and Husnu Al Suood—who were suspended by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) under what observers …
Read resignation letter from SDNY prosecutors asked to admit ‘wrongdoing’
On April 23, 2025, three federal prosecutors from the Southern District of New York—Celia V. Cohen, Andrew Rohrbach, and Derek Wikstrom—resigned after refusing to admit wrongdoing in the high-profile bribery case against New York Mayor …
Skadden accused of blocking lawyers from discussing firm’s deal with Trump
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom was accused of restricting internal discussions among its lawyers regarding the firm’s controversial deal with President Trump to avoid punitive executive orders targeting the firm. The National Institute for …
NEW POLICY BRIEF: Political Persecution of Judges and Lawyers Is a Global Problem
Freedom House’s new policy brief, Justice in Shackles: The Global Persecution of Judges and Lawyers, documents how repressive governments worldwide are increasingly targeting legal and judicial professionals to undermine the rule of law. Between 2014 …
An Apologist For Law Firm Capitulation?
In this Above the Law column, legal commentator Mark Herrmann offers a provocative defense of Big Law firms that chose to settle with the Trump administration rather than fight its executive orders. While acknowledging the …
Why Big Law Firms Aren’t Standing Together Against Trump’s Assault
As President Trump issues executive orders targeting law firms for their past legal work or diversity efforts, most large firms have opted to strike deals rather than push back — a response shaped by the …
Why Attacks on Law Firm Offices are Increasing and What They Should Do About it
In March 2025, Keystone Law’s London headquarters was vandalized by activists due to its representation of U.S. defense contractor Teledyne, which had obtained a court injunction against the protest group Palestine Action. This incident reflects …
Resignation Letters: A Collective Stand for the Rule of Law
In April 2025, dozens of Big Law associates across major firms—including Skadden, Simpson Thacher, Willkie Farr, Kirkland & Ellis, and Latham & Watkins—submitted public resignation letters in protest of their firms’ compliance with political demands …
Former Top Government Lawyers Defend Law Firms Targeted by Trump
As Donald Trump escalates efforts to punish law firms involved in cases against him, several former U.S. solicitors general — including Donald Verrilli, Paul Clement, and Elizabeth Prelogar — are stepping in to challenge his …