In a strongly worded letter to the U.S. Department of Justice, attorney Abbe Lowell, representing New York Attorney General Letitia James, denounces a politically motivated “criminal referral” against James initiated by a Trump administration official. Lowell argues the referral recycles long-debunked claims and minor clerical errors in property documents, all aimed at retaliating against James …
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 like courts, the press, and universities — notably pressuring Harvard by threatening its charitable status. Trump is also targeting the …
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 describe as politically motivated disciplinary actions. The suspensions occurred as the Supreme Court was preparing to rule on a politically …
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 Eric Adams. The Justice Department had suspended the prosecutors and allegedly demanded they express regret as a condition for reinstatement. …
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 Workers’ Rights filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging that Skadden unlawfully interfered with employees’ rights to …
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 and 2024, politicized detention, prosecution, or imprisonment of judges, prosecutors, and especially lawyers occurred in at least 78 of 112 …
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 reputational and ethical costs of capitulation, Herrmann argues that it was a rational, even necessary move to protect firms from …
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 hyper-competitive “talent war” that has reshaped Big Law. The rise of high-paid, mobile deal-making partners has eroded firm loyalty and …
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 a growing trend: law firms are increasingly becoming targets of activist reprisals, not just their clients. Security experts warn that …
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 from the Trump administration. These letters, featured here, articulate a shared alarm over the erosion of democratic norms, the undermining …