Lawyers and Democratic Decline

Tajikistan lawyer wrongfully held for a decade Buzurgmehr Yorov, one of Tajikistan’s most fearless human rights lawyers, has been unjustly imprisoned for nearly ten years. He is currently serving a 23-year sentence for defending political oppositi...

In Tajikistan, human rights lawyer Buzurgmehr Yorov has spent nearly a decade behind bars for defending opposition leaders.

Sentenced to 23 years after unfair trials, he has been tortured, silenced, and denied contact with his family.

Read it: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/09/29/t...

Legal groups resist Trump authoritarian moves with pro bono work As the Trump administration escalates politically motivated firings, blocks congressionally approved funds, and pressures major law firms, a wave of smaller legal outfits has stepped in to defend demo...

Legal groups are mounting critical pushback against Trump’s authoritarian moves. ✊

👉 “No one, not even a president, is above the law.”

Read it here: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/09/23/l...

ABA Task Force Calls on Lawyers to Pledge to Protect Democracy and Rule of Law The American Bar Association’s Task Force for American Democracy has recommended that every U.S. state expand lawyer oaths to include a commitment to upholding democracy and the rule of law. The propo...

The ABA’s Task Force for American Democracy has a bold proposal: every U.S. lawyer should take an oath to uphold democracy & the rule of law.

The report also calls for civics education, open primaries, ranked-choice voting & independent redistricting.
Read it here: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/09/10/a...

Major changes needed to address bullying and harassment at the Bar, report finds A major review led by Baroness Harriet Harman has uncovered a “culture of denial” at the Bar in England and Wales, where bullying, harassment, and sexual misconduct are widespread and often go unpunis...

A new report by Baroness Harriet Harman exposes a “culture of denial” at the Bar in England & Wales.

Bullying, harassment, and even judicial abuse are widespread — with victims often silenced by fear and a broken complaints system.

Read here: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/09/11/m...

Court throws out lawsuit by Trump administration against all 15 Maryland federal judges A federal judge has dismissed the Trump administration’s unusual lawsuit targeting all 15 federal judges in Maryland. The administration had challenged an order by Chief Judge George L. Russell III th...

A federal judge has tossed out the Trump admin’s unprecedented lawsuit against all 15 Maryland federal judges. The case challenged an order pausing deportations while habeas petitions are reviewed—Cullen said the suit “offends the rule of law.”
Read here: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/08/26/c...

How to Solve the Migrant Crisis? End the “Rule of Lawyers” Maurice Glasman argues that the migrant crisis symbolizes the collapse of the international rules-based order, which placed sovereignty in courts and lawyers rather than in politics and parliaments. T...

Glasman (Labour peer, Blue Labour) in The Sunday Times: migrant crisis marks collapse of the “rules-based order.” He calls for sovereignty over the “rule of lawyers” — part of a troubling trend casting lawyers as obstacles to democracy.
Read here: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/08/24/h...

Safeguard Constitution: Sridhar Babu to legal fraternity At the inauguration of the Hyderabad branch of the London-based 52 Gates Law Firm, IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu urged legal professionals to zealously protect India’s Constitution. He em...

At the launch of 52 Gates Law Firm in Hyderabad, IT Minister Sridhar Babu urged lawyers to join the mission to “Save the Constitution”—defending democratic values and empowering citizens. ⚖️🇮🇳

Read here: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/08/25/s...

Trump’s $940 Million Law Firm Deals Face Uncertainty Nearly five months after nine major U.S. law firms struck deals with former President Donald Trump—pledging a collective $940 million in free legal services—the impact remains unclear. Some firms cont...

Trump cut $940M “free legal services” deals with top law firms.
Months later:
⚖️ 4 firms beat back his exec orders in court
⚖️ Some still litigate against his tariffs & immigration suits
⚖️ Others quietly advise on trade & coal policy
⚖️ Firms scrubbed D&I pages.
More: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/08/15/t...

DOJ Seeks Sanctions Against California Immigration Lawyer in High-Profile Deportation Case The U.S. Department of Justice has moved to impose monetary sanctions on Los Angeles attorney Joshua Schroeder, marking the first known case under President Trump’s March 2025 directive to punish lawy...

DOJ seeks sanctions against immigration lawyer Joshua Schroeder, first case under Trump’s March order targeting “frivolous” litigation. Schroeder, who took the case pro bono, stopped deportation of a Laotian immigrant before losing in court.
Read more: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/08/08/d...

When Lawyers Speak, America Listens In a powerful message from ABA President William R. Bay, the American Bar Association reflects on a pivotal choice it made six months ago: to speak out amid rising threats to the rule of law. …

Six months ago, the ABA chose to speak out and America listened. From defending judicial independence to standing up for civil rights, the ABA has become louder, bolder, and stronger. As Pres. Bay said: “The rule of law does not defend itself. Lawyers do.”
Read: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/08/06/w...

US sanctions Brazil’s Supreme Court justice overseeing case against Bolsonaro On July 30, 2025, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, citing human rights abuses and political persecution in the case against former President Jair Bolsonaro. De Moraes, who is overseeing …

🇺🇸🇧🇷 U.S. just sanctioned Brazil’s Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes accusing him of censorship & political persecution in Bolsonaro’s trial.

Trump also imposed a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods.

Lula calls it a violation of 🇧🇷 sovereignty.

Read more: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/07/30/u...

India: Call for Transparent Judicial Removal Mechanisms In a lecture at NALSAR University, Senior Advocate Raju Ramachandran emphasized the need for a transparent and constitutionally grounded mechanism for removing judges in India to ensure a balance betw...

India: Senior SC advocate Raju Ramachandran has called for a robust and transparent constitutional framework to oversee the removal of judges: one that protects judicial independence while ensuring accountability and public confidence in institutions.

Read more: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/07/27/i...

Maurene Comey Fired from U.S. Attorney’s Office Amid Political Turmoil Maurene Comey, daughter of former FBI Director James Comey and a lead prosecutor in the Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell cases, was abruptly fired from the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office in Jul...

Maurene Comey — daughter of James Comey & prosecutor in the Epstein & Maxwell cases — was fired from the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office. No reason given. Her removal follows political pressure from Trump allies & DOJ turmoil.

Read more: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/07/17/m...

US considered charging Minnesota judges, lawyers in immigration crackdown, sources say In a previously unreported investigation, the U.S. Justice Department explored bringing criminal charges against Minnesota judges and defense attorneys who suggested virtual court hearings to protect ...

Exclusive: The U.S. Justice Dept. considered criminally charging Minnesota judges & defense lawyers for suggesting virtual hearings that might protect undocumented immigrants from ICE arrests.

Read more on LADD: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/07/16/u...

Bove Nomination Opposed by Judges Who Sat on the Same Bench More than 75 former federal and state judges, including two retired members of the Third Circuit, have publicly opposed Emil Bove’s nomination to that same court, citing a pattern of misconduct, polit...

Over 75 former judges (including two from the Third Circuit) oppose Emil Bove’s nomination to that very court, citing abuse of power, politicized prosecutions & defiance of court orders. A whistleblower backs the claims.

Read more: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/07/15/b...

Lawyer Support Project | Association of American Law Schools On March 22, 2025, President Trump issued a Presidential Memorandum entitled “Preventing Abuses of the Legal System and the Federal Court”, which instructs the U.S. Department of Justice to seek profe...

The Lawyer Support Project is now a related initiative of LADD — defending lawyers targeted for challenging government abuse. When the legal profession is under threat, we show up.

Check their website: www.aals.org/lawyer-suppo...

Trump Imposes Tariffs on Brazil Amid Bolsonaro Prosecution In a dramatic escalation, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 50% tariff on all Brazilian imports, set to begin August 1, 2025. The move comes after lobbying efforts by Eduardo Bolsonaro, s...

Trump slaps 50% tariffs on Brazil, calling Bolsonaro’s prosecution a “witch hunt.” Eduardo Bolsonaro lobbied hard—Trump listened. Lula hits back: “We won’t be bullied.” Major U.S.-Brazil trade clash just as Bolsonaro heads to trial.

Read more: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/07/11/t...

Trump slams Israel’s prosecutors over Netanyahu corruption trial U.S. President Donald Trump harshly criticized Israeli prosecutors over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial, asserting that the legal proceedings threaten to undermine regiona...

This past week, Trump slammed Israeli prosecutors over Netanyahu’s corruption trial, calling it 'INSANITY' and a threat to diplomacy with Hamas & Iran. He warned that U.S. aid is at stake.

Read it here: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/06/29/t...

Federal Judges Block Trump’s Executive Orders Targeting Law Firms In a major legal rebuke, a fourth federal judge has struck down a Trump executive order targeting the elite law firm Susman Godfrey. The ruling, issued by U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan, deemed the...

On June 27th, a judge struck down Trump’s executive order targeting elite law firms, calling it “unconstitutional from beginning to end.” A major win for the rule of law—and a clear warning against punishing lawyers for doing their jobs.
Read it here: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/06/27/f...

Trump Judicial Nominee Accused of Urging Defiance of Court Orders A whistleblower complaint made public this week accuses Emil Bove, President Trump’s nominee to the federal appeals court, of suggesting the Justice Department should ignore court orders blocking the ...

Whistleblower: Trump judicial nominee Emil Bove allegedly suggested DOJ ignore court orders to deport migrants.

He faces a Senate hearing tomorrow. Rule of law on the line.

Read more: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/06/24/t...

New Presidential Memorandum: Preventing Abuses of the Legal System On March 22, 2025, the President issued a memorandum titled “Preventing Abuses of the Legal System and the Federal Court,” directing the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security to take agg...

🚨 Important memo from March you might’ve missed: The President directed DOJ & DHS to crack down on "unethical lawyers"—especially in cases tied to national security, immigration & elections. Big implications for legal accountability.
Read it here: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/03/22/n...

India: Supreme Court Advocates Condemn ED’s Summons to Senior Lawyer Arvind Datar The Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA) has strongly objected to a summons issued by India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) to senior counsel Arvind Datar, who had provided legal advi...

India: Legal Community Raises Alarm

The Supreme Court Advocates Assoc. condemned the Enforcement Directorate for summoning senior lawyer Arvind Datar over legal advice he gave to Care Health Insurance.

They warn it’s a threat to lawyer's independence.

Read more: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/06/17/i...

Read the complaint: ABA sues over Trump administration’s intimidation of law firms and lawyers On June 16, 2025, the American Bar Association (ABA) filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging a systematic policy of intimidation targeting law firms and attorneys. The ABA a...

🚨 The ABA is suing the Trump admin over a campaign of intimidation against law firms. The lawsuit says executive orders pressured firms to drop clients + causes Trump dislikes.

Read the complaint: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/06/17/r...

Seven partners depart law firm Willkie Farr to join Cooley after Trump deal Seven litigation partners from Willkie Farr & Gallagher, including leaders of its San Francisco office, have left the firm to join Cooley. This follows internal backlash over Willkie’s controversial a...

Seven Willkie Farr partners—including office heads—bolt to Cooley after backlash over Willkie’s $100 M pro-bono pact with Trump. Cooley’s been fighting Trump orders in court. Big-law shake-up rolls on.

Read in our website: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/06/13/s...

ABA Responds to DOJ Restrictions on Judicial Nominee Evaluations On June 10, 2025, ABA President William R. Bay sent a formal letter to U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi expressing deep concern over the Department of Justice’s decision to restrict the ABA Standing...

On June 10, the ABA called out DOJ’s move to block access to judicial nominees, ending a 72-year tradition. ABA President William Bay says the change hurts transparency.
Read the letter in our website: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/06/10/a...

Photograph of the ABA logo and the words "American Bar Association" in metal on the glass exterior wall of the ABA building in Chicago.

The American Bar Association filed a lawsuit today to halt government intimidation of lawyers and law firms. Learn more: www.americanbar.org/news/abanews...

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Trump Administration Targets Brazilian Judge for ‘Censorship’ The Trump administration has unveiled a new visa restriction policy targeting foreign officials accused of censoring online speech, with language closely mirroring complaints against Brazilian Supreme...

Trump admin targets Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes
New U.S. visa policy cites “online censorship” & hints at sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act.
Moraes lead the current probe into Bolsonaro’s coup plot.

More on ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/05/29/t...

#Brazil #Moraes #USforeignpolicy

Judge orders El Salvador human rights lawyer jailed for 6 months pending trial A judge in El Salvador has ordered Ruth Leonora López, a prominent human rights and anti-corruption lawyer, to be jailed for six months pending trial on charges of illegal enrichment. López, head of t...

In El Salvador, a top human rights lawyer has been jailed for 6 months before trial.

Ruth Leonora López, known for challenging Bukele’s emergency powers, calls herself a political prisoner.

🔗 Full story: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/06/04/j...
#RuleOfLaw #HumanRights #ElSalvador #LawyersAndDemocracy