@ldadorg
Lawyers Defending American Democracy is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization devoted to protecting democracy and the rule of law and standing up for the constitutional norms and principles that are foundational to our freedoms. Learn more: ldad.org
Lawsuits are one of the only ways to hold the line against a regime bent on frog-marching our country back to the late nineteenth century or perhaps to the 1700s.
LDAD is proud to be part of this defending the rule of law. If only it wasn't necessary!
DOJ is looking to remove an entire cohort of lawyers--DOJ lawyers--from disciplinary requirements the public has long relied on. It offers no timelines under which a state could follow up if DOJ does not.
Again, the administration is looking to run out the clock to remain unaccountable.
📣 The ability of the executive to replace career civil servants with political and personal loyalists is a classic and momentous step on the road to an authoritarian regime.
Read more from our amicus brief about the erosion of civil service law.
ldad.org/letters-brie...
These are not harmless threats without impact. They create a climate of endangerment to judges throughout the country.The President’s continued attacks risk undermining the very foundation of judicial independence... and completely undercuts the third branch of government. 3/3
The average number of threats and hostile communications directed at federal judges, court staff, courthouses, and federal prosecutors has more than tripled in the decade since Trump launched his first presidential campaign in 2015... 2/3
⚖️ One of the less told aspects of SCOTUS' recent tariff ruling is how the President again showered vitriol on judges who disagreed with him, this time Supreme Court justices. Our ED, Lauren Stiller Rikleen, talks about the increased dangers to judges when they are more needed. 1/3
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“What the Court will not tolerate is what happened here: disobedience and radio silence from the Government.”
🔥 We salute Judge Provinzino. We urge more lawyers and judges to explain that that judicial system is meant to apply to all people, regardless of who they are. 3/3
"The refrain of ‘understaffing' & ‘too many cases' has worn out its welcome, particularly when it comes at the expense of individual rights. This Court would never allow a private attorney or litigant to rely on an ‘I’m too busy’ excuse to justify disobedience of a court order." 2/3
📣 Judge Provinzino of MN recently said, "It has become painfully clear over the past several months that the attorneys working on immigration habeas cases lack the basis resources and, in some cases, training necessary to comply with judicial orders.” 1/3
www.newsweek.com/judge-warns-...
LDAD's Amanda Cats-Baril sounds the alarm: will we let immigration enforcement revive the abuses that sparked the American Revolution?
As lawyers, it's our duty to speak up for the Constitution and rule of law in times of crisis. @thefulcrum-us.bsky.social
thefulcrum.us/governance-l...
This stunning testimony shows the extent to which this administration has chosen to break with the rule of law. Ryan Schwank reports he "received secretive orders to teach new cadets to violate the Constitution by entering homes without a judicial warrant."
www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6Tr...
“[I]t can be tempting to bypass Congress when some pressing problem arises. But the deliberative nature of the legislative process was the whole point of its design. Through that process, the nation can tap the combined wisdom of the people’s elected representatives, not just that of one ... man.”
🔥 The Supreme Court came down on the side of the Constitution on Friday with its decision in Learning Resources v. Trump about tariffs. We were particularly pleased to see Justice Gorsuch stand up for the Separation of Powers. ⬇️
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/21/u...
Cronyism undermines the rule of law, which requires impartial, standardized, and transparent rules.
What @lawyeroyer.com is describing sounds suspicious.
👀 In case you missed it 👀
💻 The recording of "Conversations that Matter: Race, Resistance and the Rule of Law" is now available. This important conversation why preserving and validating the truth about our past is so important.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-Z1...
We have filed an amicus brief in DC urging the district court to uphold longstanding civil service protections for senior career officials at the FBI.
Weakening these safeguards invites political interference in federal law enforcement & undermines the rule of law.
ldad.org/letters-brie...
A critical aspect of the Rule of Law is that it applies equally. To everyone. It is one of the reasons the Department of Justice has always been so careful to be outside politics and to follow the law, not the desires of any elected official.
Posting this banner flies against all of this.
We were proud to see @lawrenceodonnell.bsky.social read from LDAD volunteer Jamie Steyer's article from the @nydailynews.com. Thank you for making sure the American people hear this message. #RuleofLaw
This morning @nydailynews.com published LDAD James Speyer's important editorial. In it, Speyer points out that "the Trump administration is essentially acting as a massive criminal enterprise. It lies, steals, extorts and murders — all while cloaked in the awesome authority of the state."
Immigration law is complex and current media narratives aren't helping us understand it any better. This is an excellent explainer. Immigration law is designed as a civil compliance system, not a criminal one. What does this mean? Read more ⬇️
open.substack.com/pub/camillem...
📌 Federal judges continue to speak up and speak out. It is amazing to see one quote George Orwell, but it also feels appropriate at a time when we see so many attacks on the rule of law.
So, it was surprising when
Comey, an exemplary DOJ employee, was fired in an example of presidential overreach trying to exert “control over hiring and firing for partisan ends, rather than to protect the merit principles that Congress enshrined in statute.” Read our amicus brief to learn more. 2/2
ldad.org/letters-brie...
The current administration has been very clear that it believes the Merit Systems Protection Board, a tribunal that was created by civil service law, is unconstitutional. So, it was surprising when they argued that Asst. US Atty Maurene Comey's termination should be heard there. 1/2
LDAD & a distinguished coalition filed an ethics complaint against the AG that The Florida Bar refused to review. Since that filing, examples of her flouting of the rules proliferate, as she weaponizes the federal government to serve the interests of the administration.
ldad.org/letters-brie...
Bondi’s appearance before Congress was a spectacle of her own making as she debased the DOJ’s historic stature by shouting prepared opposition research against those who dared question her failure to pursue justice on behalf of the children abused by Jeffrey Epstein. 1/2
apnews.com/article/pam-...
As they so eloquently say, "The rights to free expression and peaceful assembly, along with the guarantees of due process, equal protection, and freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures must never be abridged by agents acting under color of federal authority."
✨ We are thrilled to see the Denver Bar Association speak out about the administration's actions, particularly the recent federal immigration enforcement operations within the United States that have devastated communities across the country. 1/2
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As @roberthubbell.skystack.xyz says in this article: "Indeed, according to John Adams, the British practice of issuing “general writs” authorizing unbounded searches of homes led to the 'first Act of opposition' in the Revolution."
We must all stand up to demand that ICE operate within the law. 2/2
⚖️ How is the Rule of Law breaking down?
Just note Stephen Miller's comment yesterday that requiring a judicial warrant based on probable cause to enter a person’s home is a "non-starter."
That principle is fundamental to the Rule of Law. 1/2
open.substack.com/pub/roberthu...