On Law Day 2025, the American Bar Association warned that the U.S. legal profession is facing growing political pressure and retaliation, echoing patterns seen in authoritarian regimes like Belarus and Poland. Judges and lawyers in the U.S. are increasingly targeted for defending the rule of law, facing firings, disbarments, and public threats. Drawing on lessons …
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 …
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 …
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 …
A coalition of international legal and human rights organizations has condemned escalating attacks by Turkish authorities on the Istanbul Bar Association and the broader legal profession. Following the forced removal of the Bar’s elected leadership and criminal charges against its president and board members, including arbitrary detentions and judicial harassment, concerns are mounting over the …
President Trump’s use of executive orders to punish law firms tied to political opponents has sparked fear across the legal profession, leading some firms to quietly scale back or reject pro bono work on causes that conflict with his administration’s priorities. Civil rights and immigrant advocacy groups report a noticeable decline in law firm support, …
President Trump’s recent wave of executive orders targeting major law firms—beginning with Perkins Coie and followed by Paul Weiss, Jenner & Block, and WilmerHale—has alarmed the legal community, raising fears of political retribution for representing clients or causes critical of the administration. Critics warn that these actions threaten core constitutional principles by pressuring firms to …
President Donald Trump has escalated his attacks on the legal community, issuing a new directive that empowers Attorney General Pam Bondi to sanction lawyers and law firms engaged in what he calls “frivolous, unreasonable, and vexatious litigation” against the federal government. The memo threatens disciplinary actions — including revoked security clearances and canceled federal contracts …
In a sweeping move to intimidate the legal profession, President Trump issued a new memorandum threatening sanctions against lawyers and firms who bring lawsuits against his administration, framing them as engaging in “frivolous” or politically motivated litigation. The order has alarmed legal experts, civil rights advocates, and law firms, with critics warning it undermines the …