This report, prepared by the Coalition for the International Day of the Endangered Lawyer, designates the United States as its 2026 focus country, arguing that threats to the legal profession have become systematic rather than isolated. Drawing on international standards such as the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers and the newly adopted …
Hundreds of former U.S. Department of Justice attorneys — who served under both Republican and Democratic administrations — have filed a formal comment opposing a proposed DOJ rule that would allow the Attorney General to block state bar associations from investigating federal government lawyers. The former officials argue the rule violates the McDade Amendment, a …
This report, published for the 16th International Day of the Endangered Lawyer (24 January 2026), examines growing threats to the independence, safety, and professional freedom of lawyers in the United States. Traditionally seen as a strong rule-of-law democracy, the U.S. has been selected as the 2026 focus country due to escalating political, institutional, and administrative …
In 2025, Lawyers Defending American Democracy (LDAD) responded to intensified challenges to due process, separation of powers, and judicial independence with a mix of accountability and action. The organization filed ethics complaints, submitted amicus briefs in major democracy-related cases, issued open letters and statements, and expanded organizing efforts—including Meeting the Moment, a national call for …
This article argues that the legal profession has an ethical obligation to hold Attorney General Pam Bondi accountable for actions that allegedly undermine the rule of law and professional standards within the U.S. Department of Justice The authors describe how mass firings of DOJ lawyers, political pressure on prosecutors, and a weakened system of internal …
Federal judges have dismissed the indictments against James Comey and Letitia James, ruling that the prosecutor who brought both cases — Lindsey Halligan — was unlawfully appointed as interim U.S. attorney. Because Halligan lacked legal authority to present the cases to the grand jury, both indictments were thrown out without prejudice. You can read the …
The D.C. Bar’s Ethics Opinion 391 (October 2025) addresses the ethical implications of lawyers or law firms entering agreements with government entities that may limit or shape their legal practice. The opinion cautions that such arrangements can create conflicts of interest, impose improper restrictions on a lawyer’s right to practice, or undermine professional independence. It …
On July 28, 2025, Lawyers Defending American Democracy (LDAD), its Maryland chapter (MD-LDAD), the Lawyers Society for the Rule of Law Institute (SRLI), and retired Judge J. Michael Luttig filed an amicus curiae brief in support of federal judges targeted by a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Department of Justice. The case challenges a Standing …
In April 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued an Executive Order targeting the law firm Susman Godfrey LLP based on the clients it represents and the causes it supports. This opinion from the U.S. District Court for D.C. finds the order unconstitutional, citing grave violations of free speech, due process, and separation of powers.
In a rare and sweeping legal move, the U.S. Department of Justice has sued all federal judges in Maryland, accusing them of overstepping their authority by issuing automatic injunctions that block immigrant removals without case-by-case review. The complaint warns that these standing orders unlawfully tie the hands of federal immigration authorities and undermine the balance of powers between the judiciary and the executive branch.