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 …
Attacks Against Legal Profession
With New Decree, Trump Seeks to Cow the Legal Profession
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 …
New Presidential Memorandum: Preventing Abuses of the Legal System
On March 22, 2025, the President issued a memorandum titled “Preventing Abuses of the Legal System and the Federal Court,” directing the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security to take aggressive action against attorneys …
Lawyers face growing global threats
Across the world, lawyers are increasingly facing intimidation, surveillance, cyberattacks, detention, and even imprisonment — often for defending human rights or politically unpopular clients. A recent global report highlighted Belarus, where over 130 lawyers have …
‘Did Not Push Hard Enough’: Navalny Lawyer Speaks of Regrets
In a powerful and emotional interview with The Moscow Times, Olga Mikhailova, longtime lawyer of the late Alexei Navalny, reflects on her regrets and the devastating aftermath of his decision to return to Russia in …
Russian court jails three of Navalny’s former lawyers for ‘extremist’ activity
In a chilling escalation of its crackdown on dissent, a Russian court has sentenced three of Alexei Navalny’s former lawyers — Vadim Kobzev, Alexei Liptser, and Igor Sergunin — to multiple years in prison for …
I Am Navalny’s Lawyer. I Won’t Let Fear Stop My Work
In this Moscow Times opinion piece, Russian lawyer Leonid Solovyov shares his personal account of defending Alexei Navalny amidst an increasingly repressive legal climate. Following the arrest of three of Navalny’s lawyers and the exile …
“Ousted Chief Justice in Pakistan Urges Defiance,” David Rohde and Jane Perlez
Lawyers in Pakistan continued protesting, with ousted Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry urging them to defy de facto martial law imposed by President Gen. Pervez Musharraf. Chaudhry, under arrest, called for the restoration …