University of Wisconsin–Madison

Tag: United States

Did Paul, Weiss Partners Seriously Debate Running The Firm’s Business Past Stephen Miller?

A sweeping New York Times investigation published the weekend of August 2, and analyzed in the legal press, reconstructed how the elite law firm Paul, Weiss chose to strike a deal with the White House rather than litigate against an executive order targeting it — an order issued because the firm had employed attorneys involved …

Senate Confirms Todd Blanche as Attorney General in 50–49 Vote

On August 8, the Senate narrowly confirmed Todd Blanche — President Trump’s former personal defense attorney — as U.S. Attorney General by a 50–49 vote, with only Republicans Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski crossing the aisle. Blanche had served as acting head of the Justice Department since April and, in that role, aggressively advanced the …

‘How to Kill a Federal Judge’ author convicted of threatening US judges

A Minnesota man was convicted by a federal jury in St. Paul on August 7, 2026, on all three counts related to writing and distributing a lengthy manuscript threatening federal judges, Reuters reports. Robert Phillip Ivers, 73, was found guilty of mailing threatening communications and of threatening to murder a federal judge; he had already …

This federal judge ruled against Trump. Then the threats began.

In an August 5 profile, The Washington Post reported on Chief U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. of Rhode Island, who spoke publicly about credible death threats and harassment he and his family have received after ruling against the administration. McConnell described the doxxing of his daughter and impeachment efforts launched by members of …

How a Top Law Firm Went From Standing Up to Trump to Bending the Knee

A New York Times investigation by Michael S. Schmidt and Jessica Silver-Greenberg examines how Paul Weiss — a firm long identified with civil rights litigation and, during Trump’s first term, with organized legal opposition to the administration — came to settle rather than fight when it was hit with a punitive executive order in March …

Two More Chicago Immigration Judges Fired as Court Becomes Epicenter of Removal Orders

This July 31 report (United States) describes the Trump administration’s dismissal of two additional judges at the Chicago Immigration Court, which has become the national leader in deportation orders. The article notes that the administration has fired more than 100 of the roughly 750 immigration judges in place at the start of the term while …

Grave concern over the ICE arrest of Chinese human rights lawyer Wu Shaoping

Lawyers for Lawyers reported that U.S. immigration authorities detained Wu Shaoping, a Chinese human-rights lawyer who fled China after facing pressure connected to his legal work. Wu had sought asylum in the United States, and legal organizations warned that deporting him could expose him to renewed persecution. The case is especially relevant because a lawyer …

The Conflict Over the US Dept. of Justice

In a July 30, 2026 commentary at Consortium News, former New Jersey judge Andrew P. Napolitano argues that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche should not be confirmed as attorney general, contending that his years as Trump’s personal defense lawyer leave him unable to separate loyalty to the president from his oath to the law. Napolitano …

Statement of American Bar Association Re: Personal attacks against judges are unacceptable

In a statement issued July 28, 2026, the American Bar Association condemned personal attacks on judges by government officials, pointing specifically to recent social media posts in which an administration official criticized judges by name. The ABA framed those posts as part of a broader pattern of threats, intimidation and personal attacks aimed at the …

Statement of the American Bar Association Re: Personal Attacks Against Judges Are Unacceptable

In a statement issued from Chicago on July 28, 2026, the American Bar Association denounced personal attacks on judges by government officials and urged public officials, lawyers and the public to reject rhetoric that targets individual judges or attempts to delegitimize the courts over unfavorable rulings. The association pointed to recent social media posts by …