On May 2, 2025, prominent attorney Abbe Lowell—known for representing Hunter Biden—announced the launch of Lowell & Associates, a new law firm dedicated to defending former government officials and institutions facing politically motivated investigations under the Trump administration. The firm includes former lawyers from Skadden Arps and Winston & Strawn who left over concerns about …
On May 1, 2025, over 1,500 lawyers gathered at Foley Square in New York City—and thousands more across 50 U.S. cities—as part of the National Law Day of Action to protest President Trump’s attacks on the legal system. Organized by legal professionals, the demonstrations highlighted growing concern over the president’s efforts to undermine the judiciary, …
On April 25, 2025, Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested by federal agents and charged with obstruction and concealing an individual to avoid arrest. The charges stem from an incident in her courtroom where Judge Dugan allegedly helped a Mexican national evade immigration agents during a scheduled court appearance. The FBI claims Dugan …
Two major U.S. law firms, Perkins Coie and WilmerHale, asked federal judges to permanently block executive orders issued by President Trump that they argue retaliate against them for past legal work opposing Trump and his allies. The firms contend the orders violate constitutional protections and threaten the legal profession’s independence. Although courts have already temporarily …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
More than 500 law firms have signed an amicus brief supporting Perkins Coie in its legal challenge against a series of retaliatory executive orders issued by President Trump, which critics argue threaten the rule of law and represent an abuse of executive power.
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 …