The article argues that in authoritarian and transitional contexts, cause lawyers often defy traditional roles by challenging state-aligned bar associations, supporting contentious movements, and using unconventional tactics to confront judicial and political oppression.
The essay argues that Thai cause lawyers’ conflicting views on recent coups reveal how the rule of law is shaped by national identity, personal experience, and ties to social movements, rather than a universal legal standard.
China’s legal profession has rapidly privatized, leading to greater lawyer organization and social advocacy within the one-party state, despite ongoing government control.
Cause lawyers in Myanmar use legal formality to promote justice and public accountability, challenging state power, but persistent impunity undermines trust in the law’s effectiveness.
The article explores how lawyers, though typically guardians of the legal order, played a pivotal and often paradoxical role in revolutionary movements by balancing their professional duties with commitments to political change.
The article argues that lawyers are essential to Africa’s democratic transitions, but must overcome past associations with authoritarian regimes to regain public trust and fulfill their reformative potential.
In Myanmar’s authoritarian legal system, everyday lawyers resist state power by preserving client dignity, offering subtle defiance where rule of law is absent.
The article explores how Pakistan’s judiciary expanded its power under Musharraf, with lawyers and judges resisting regime control through public interest litigation.
This book explores Trump’s attacks on expertise and truth, highlighting the resistance from professionals defending integrity against his autocratic tactics.
This book documents the legal and political battles against Trump and his supporters’ autocratic actions, analyzing lawsuits, prosecutions, and broader resistance efforts in defense of American democracy.