University of Wisconsin–Madison

Category: News

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US law firms quietly scrub DEI references from websites to appease Trump

Facing pressure from President Trump’s administration, nearly two dozen top U.S. law firms have quietly removed references to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) from their websites and adjusted descriptions of pro bono work to align with the administration’s political priorities. The changes—ranging from deleting DEI-related language to cancelling diversity events—reflect a broader trend of legal …

“An Attack on All of Us”: Judges Condemn Threats to Judicial Independence

At an April 10 panel hosted by the National Constitution Center, four federal judges—Michelle Childs (D.C. Circuit), Margaret McKeown (9th Circuit), Beth Bloom (S.D. Fla.), and Stephen Bough (W.D. Mo.)—issued a stark warning: escalating threats, intimidation, and political attacks on judges are eroding public trust and endangering the judiciary’s role in American democracy. Drawing on …

Read the DOJ memo barring employees from participating in American Bar Ass’n events

On April 9, 2025, Law Dork published the full DOJ memo in which Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche formally prohibited Justice Department employees from participating in American Bar Association (ABA) events in any official capacity. Citing the ABA’s involvement in litigation against the government and its support for positions contrary to DOJ policy, Blanche emphasized …

US Justice Dept bars its attorneys from participating in American Bar Association events

On April 9, the U.S. Department of Justice, under the Trump administration, announced it will no longer allow its attorneys to attend or speak at events hosted by the American Bar Association (ABA). In a memo, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche criticized the ABA for supporting what he called “activist causes” that conflict with the …

Attorney General Bondi Threatens ABA’s Role as Law School Accreditor Over Diversity Standards

In a February 28, 2025 letter, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi called on the American Bar Association’s Council of the Section of Legal Education to eliminate its diversity and inclusion requirements for law schools. Bondi warned that if the ABA fails to repeal the standard—which mandates that law schools demonstrate diversity efforts among faculty and …

Capitulate or resist? Trump threats spur different responses, and alarm for democracy

UC Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky led an effort urging law school deans to condemn President Trump’s use of government power to retaliate against law firms, warning it threatens democratic principles and chills dissent. While nearly 80 deans joined the statement, many declined, reflecting growing fear in academia and the legal field of becoming political …

An attack on the Constitution? Why Trump’s moves to punish law firms are causing alarm

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 …