Seven litigation partners from Willkie Farr & Gallagher, including leaders of its San Francisco office, have left the firm to join Cooley. This follows internal backlash over Willkie’s controversial agreement with the Trump administration, in which the firm pledged $100 million in pro bono work and other concessions to avoid a damaging executive order. Cooley, …
In June 2025, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele escalated his crackdown on dissent, arresting prominent constitutional lawyer Enrique Anaya on contested charges of money laundering. Human rights groups say the move reflects a broader campaign to silence critics — including lawyers, journalists, and civil society leaders — many of whom have fled the country. Bukele, …
The legal landscape in Washington has exploded under Trump’s second term, with over 400 lawsuits filed against his administration—most of them in the capital. As top firms buckle under political pressure, public interest groups like Democracy Forward and the ACLU have stepped up, rapidly expanding their legal teams to meet the demand. Lawyers describe a …
On June 10, 2025, ABA President William R. Bay sent a formal letter to U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi expressing deep concern over the Department of Justice’s decision to restrict the ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary from accessing judicial nominees and relevant information—an unprecedented move after 72 years of collaboration. Bay emphasized that …
On June 10, 2025, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) and Lawyers for Lawyers condemned the arbitrary detention and reported torture of Ugandan lawyer Agather Atuhaire and Kenyan activist-journalist Boniface Mwangi by Tanzanian authorities. The two were arrested in Dar es Salaam while observing the treason trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu. Although …
The Trump administration is pressing forward with criminal charges against Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan, who is accused of helping a man evade federal immigration agents in her courtroom. Dugan faces charges of obstruction and concealing an individual to prevent arrest after allegedly escorting the man out a back door. The DOJ argues that dismissing …
In a historic move, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on four International Criminal Court (ICC) judges following the court’s arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a previous investigation into alleged U.S. war crimes in Afghanistan. The sanctioned judges—Solomy Balungi Bossa (Uganda), Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza (Peru), Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou …
A judge in El Salvador has ordered Ruth Leonora López, a prominent human rights and anti-corruption lawyer, to be jailed for six months pending trial on charges of illegal enrichment. López, head of the Anti-Corruption Unit at Cristosal, has been a vocal critic of President Nayib Bukele’s emergency powers and alleged government corruption. Her arrest …
President Trump has issued executive orders aimed at restricting certain law firms that have challenged his administration or represented controversial clients. Some firms have settled, while others are fighting back in court. The NPR Politics Podcast highlights how these orders—some already struck down—raise serious legal questions about executive overreach and the weaponization of government power …
On June 1, 2025, Mexico held its first national judicial elections, a sweeping reform led by former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and current President Claudia Sheinbaum. Voters selected 2,600 judges and magistrates, including all nine Supreme Court justices, in an unprecedented move aimed at combating judicial corruption and increasing public accountability. However, the election …