A federal appeals court judge, Jeffrey Sutton, dismissed a judicial misconduct complaint the United States Department of Justice filed against James Boasberg, ruling that the department failed to provide sufficient evidence to substantiate allegations that …
United States
A California lawyer takes the civil rights fight home to Minneapolis
In this column, Anita Chabria profiles James Cook, an Oakland civil rights lawyer who has been spending months in Minneapolis helping people swept up in a federal crackdown—protesters, immigrants, and even U.S. citizens—often pro bono. …
Judge in Minnesota tries to keep Trump administration in check during crackdown
A federal judge in Minneapolis sharply criticized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for repeatedly failing to follow court orders in lawsuits filed by people arrested during the Donald Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Chief U.S. District …
Police credit cooperation for arrests in attacks on judge and his wife
In Lafayette, police and state/federal partners announced the arrests of five suspects tied to the Jan. 18, 2026 shooting of Steven Meyer and his wife, Kimberly Meyer, who were both wounded but are expected to …
‘Endangered lawyer’ day highlights US justice system’s plummeting standing
The United States has been named the focus of the 2026 International Day of the Endangered Lawyer, marking it as a country where the rule of law is under threat due to political intimidation of …
Trump’s Second-Term Challenges to the Judiciary – Interview with law professor Steve Vladeck
A PBS NewsHour segment examines how President Trump’s second-term policies are placing unprecedented strain on the U.S. judicial system. Constitutional law professor Steve Vladeck argues that recent executive actions—especially on immigration enforcement, including proposed warrantless …
Renewing the Commitment of Big Firm Lawyers?
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 …
Levesque et al. (2023). “Crimmigrating Narratives: Examining Third-Party Observations of US Detained Immigration Court.”
Levesque, C., DeWaard, J., Chan, L., McKenzie, M. G., Tsuchiya, K., Toles, O., … Boyle, E. H. (2023). Crimmigrating Narratives: Examining Third-Party Observations of US Detained Immigration Court. Law & Social Inquiry, 48(2), 407–436. doi:10.1017/lsi.2022.16 Crimmigrating Narratives: …
Don’t ‘Kill the Lawyers’ in 2026—They’re Fighting for Justice
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 …
Trump’s Battle With Big Law Firms Heads Into 2026: What to Know
In early 2026, the legal fight over President Donald Trump’s executive orders targeting major U.S. law firms is moving into a new phase. The orders sought to restrict lawyers’ security clearances and encouraged federal …