This piece examines how large U.S. law firms have responded to political pressure from the Trump administration, especially efforts to punish firms representing government critics. While some firms settled or retreated from controversial litigation, others have recently stepped up to defend civil rights, sanctuary cities, academic institutions, and government accountability. The author is skeptical that …
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 …
In this guest essay, former federal judges Shira A. Scheindlin and John Jones III argue that the American legal profession failed a crucial test during the Trump administration by largely acquiescing to government pressure. They criticize major law firms that struck deals with the administration—abandoning diversity commitments and offering extensive pro bono services to government-favored …
In January 2026, a wave of resignations swept the U.S. Department of Justice following its handling of the fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis by an ICE officer. At least four senior leaders from the Civil Rights Division unit responsible for investigating police killings resigned in protest after the department declined to open a …
Human rights organizations have condemned the arrest and continued detention of Sarah Bireete, a prominent Ugandan human rights defender, calling it unconstitutional and emblematic of a broader crackdown on civic space ahead of Uganda’s January 15, 2026 general elections. The Uganda Women’s Movement (UWM) warned that her detention reflects a pattern of arbitrary arrests targeting …
In this Bloomberg Law commentary (Jan. 5, 2026), attorney Abbe David Lowell argues that authoritarian-leaning leaders often target lawyers first because lawyers are essential to protecting rights and checking executive power. He reframes Shakespeare’s “let’s kill all the lawyers” as a warning: eliminating lawyers makes it easier to undermine democracy. Lowell says President Donald Trump’s …
In a significant ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deploying National Guard troops to the Chicago area, delivering one of its first major setbacks to Trump’s expansive claims of executive power in months. The decision was heavily influenced by an unusual source: a friend-of-the-court brief submitted by Georgetown law professor …
A coalition of attorneys general from 21 U.S. states and the District of Columbia has filed a lawsuit to block the Trump administration’s effort to defund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The suit argues that the administration’s refusal to request funding from the Federal Reserve is unlawful and violates Congress’s constitutional authority, effectively undermining …
We are excited to share that the Gargoyle, the University of Wisconsin Law School’s alumni magazine, has published a new feature highlighting the work of Lawyers and Democratic Decline (LADD) — a global research initiative examining how lawyers and judges navigate moments of democratic crisis. As democratic backsliding accelerates worldwide, understanding the role of legal …
A coalition of 22 human rights organizations has called on the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to take decisive action following its recent review of Egypt’s human rights record. Rights groups argue that both Egypt’s official report (2019–2024) and the Commission’s rapporteur minimized or ignored extensive abuses—including the imprisonment of journalists, political critics, …