Are we losing our democracy? Countries that slide from democracy toward autocracy tend to follow similar patterns. To measure what is happening in the United States, the N.Y. Times editorial board has compiled a list of 12 markers of democratic erosion under Trump: they are a warning of how much Americans have already lost and …
According to the World Justice Project’s 2025 Rule of Law Index, Romania has dropped three places to 44th globally, reflecting a continued decline in democratic standards and institutional integrity. The report highlights weakening checks on government power, reduced transparency, and growing political interference in the judiciary, echoing a global trend where 68% of countries show …
This week’s Legal Ethics Roundup highlights pressing issues at the intersection of law, ethics, and democracy. Former federal judges warn that DOJ lawyers under the Trump administration have misled courts, raising new questions about government accountability. Other major stories include the California Supreme Court’s refusal to erase attorney discipline records, state attorneys general potentially violating …
This New Yorker article examines how major U.S. law firms responded to Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the broader implications for the legal profession. It argues that many elite firms, once seen as defenders of democratic norms, remained silent or complicit as lawyers within and outside government advanced baseless claims of …
The ACLU is leading the fight to protect civil rights and challenge systemic inequality in housing, employment, education, and beyond. Recent actions by the Trump administration threaten decades of progress by rolling back disparate impact protections — a key tool that holds institutions accountable for policies that disproportionately harm marginalized communities, even without explicit intent …
Chad’s recent constitutional amendment abolishing presidential term limits marks a major setback for democracy and the rule of law. The reform, fast-tracked through parliament and signed by President Mahamat Idriss Déby, allows him to remain in power indefinitely and extends presidential terms from five to seven years. Human Rights Watch warns that this move dismantles …
In a powerful reflection, Suren Avanesyan shares his encounter with two leading Russian human rights lawyers, Vadim Prokhorov and Karina Moskalenko, who continue to defend political prisoners from exile. Their work before the European Court of Human Rights is one of the few remaining avenues for justice as political repression in Russia intensifies. The piece …
As threats against judges intensify across the United States—from swatting and doxxing to direct intimidation—lawyers are mobilizing to protect the judiciary and the rule of law. In a recent interview with Federal News Network, attorney Paul Kiesel discussed the origins of Speak Up for Justice, a coalition of legal professionals advocating for judicial safety and …
Fresh Air — “Implications Of The DOJ Targeting The President’s Critics” Legal scholar and former U.S. attorney Barbara McQuade explains how President Trump’s push for the Justice Department to pursue his political opponents (e.g., James Comey) erodes long-standing norms separating law enforcement from politics, threatening prosecutorial independence and the rule of law. The episode lays out …
Michele Beckwith, the acting U.S. attorney in Sacramento, was abruptly fired by President Donald Trump just hours after reminding Border Patrol officials that immigration raids in her district must comply with federal court orders. On 15 July, Beckwith sent an email to Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino, emphasizing that agents could not indiscriminately stop or …