Threats against judges are on the rise — with more than 500 reported in the last year alone. From executive branch officials to political commentators, attacks are increasingly aimed at delegitimizing the courts. This escalation threatens the very foundation of judicial independence and risks discouraging qualified candidates from serving on the bench. The authors, leaders …
A major review led by Baroness Harriet Harman has uncovered a “culture of denial” at the Bar in England and Wales, where bullying, harassment, and sexual misconduct are widespread and often go unpunished. The 129-page report describes a “cohort of untouchables” protected by silence, fear, and a broken complaints system that leaves victims without justice. …
The American Bar Association’s Task Force for American Democracy has recommended that every U.S. state expand lawyer oaths to include a commitment to upholding democracy and the rule of law. The proposal comes amid declining public trust in government and legal institutions, after a two-year bipartisan review led by former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson …
Since the Taliban’s return to power, Afghanistan’s female judges and prosecutors have lived under constant threat. Once respected leaders, they are now forced into hiding, facing intimidation, violence, and social erasure. Many cannot seek medical care or work openly, and their pleas for asylum have gone unanswered. Despite petitions and UK relocation schemes, progress has …
The article Avoision: When Government Lawyers Turn the Sovereign Against Itself (Case Western Reserve Law Review, 2024) argues that when government lawyers engage in “avoision”—working at the edge of legality to help political superiors achieve their goals—they fundamentally betray their real client, which is the law itself. Richard W. Painter shows how practices such as …
Two Zimbabwean human rights lawyers, Douglas Coltart and Tapiwa Muchineripi, were arrested after advising police not to interrogate their hospitalized clients—opposition activists who reported being abducted and tortured. Rights groups say the arrests amount to the “criminalization of the profession” and an attack on lawyers’ independence. Both lawyers, members of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, …
Multiple federal judges, including some appointed by Donald Trump, have openly criticized the U.S. Supreme Court for what they see as its “inexcusable” pattern of siding with the Trump administration by overturning lower court rulings with little or no explanation. In interviews with NBC News, ten judges expressed frustration that the conservative-majority court’s actions not …
On August 29, 2025, Belarusian authorities escalated their campaign against the legal profession by designating the Belarusian Association of Human Rights Lawyers (BAHRL) an “extremist formation.” This move threatens members and associates with up to 10 years in prison for alleged affiliation. BAHRL, formed by exiled lawyers stripped of their licenses, has worked to defend …
Veteran Washington lawyer Abbe Lowell has emerged as one of the only attorneys in Washington willing to take on Donald Trump during his second term, after the president targeted law firms representing immigrants, diversity causes, or other opposition. While big firms backed away from cases under pressure, Lowell left his practice to open his own …
A federal judge has dismissed the Trump administration’s unusual lawsuit targeting all 15 federal judges in Maryland. The administration had challenged an order by Chief Judge George L. Russell III that temporarily blocks the immediate deportation of immigrants who file habeas petitions, giving courts time to review their cases and ensure access to attorneys. Judge …