Lawyers and Democratic Decline

How Trump and Bondi transformed the DOJ to push his agenda and challenge detractors In a PBS NewsHour report (Feb. 17, 2026), Ali Rogin examines how the Trump administration and Attorney General Pam Bondi have reshaped the U.S. Department of Justice. The report highlights a sharp dec...

PBS NewsHour reports that the Trump administration and AG Pam Bondi have significantly reshaped the DOJ, with major staff departures and growing concerns about politicization, prosecutorial capacity, and tensions with judges.

Read it: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2026/02/17/h...

2026 WILJ Symposium on Lawyers, Judges, and Creeping Authoritarianism On February 12–13, 2026, the Wisconsin International Law Journal Symposium—co-sponsored by the Lawyers and Democratic Decline (LADD) project—brought scholars and practitioners to the University of Wis...

WILJ Symposium (Feb 12–13, UW Law): two days on “creeping authoritarianism” and what it means for judges and lawyers—courts under pressure, activist lawyering, and the criminal justice system, with cases from the U.S., Brazil, Russia, Hungary, and more.

ladd.law.wisc.edu/2026/02/17/2...

Albanian PM seeks to stop judiciary from suspending ministers Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said his government will change the law to prevent ministers from being suspended while under criminal investigation, after a court suspended Deputy PM Belinda Balluku...

Albania's PM wants to change law so ministers can’t be suspended while under criminal investigation—after a court suspended Deputy PM Belinda Balluku. Opposition says it’s self-protection and a blow to judicial independence.

Read it: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2026/02/16/a...

Judicial misconduct complaint filed by Justice Dept. against Judge James Boasberg is dismissed 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 prov...

He was targeted with the misconduct complaint because DOJ alleged he made improper, biased comments in a closed-door judges’ meeting—warning that the Trump administration might ignore federal court rulings and spark a “constitutional crisis”.

Read it: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2026/02/02/j...

Turkish Court Blocks Erdogan Rival’s Presidential Path A Turkish court has rejected jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu’s legal challenge against the cancellation of his university degree, a ruling that further jeopardizes his ability to run for presiden...

Turkish court blocks Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu’s bid to restore his university degree—an essential requirement to run for president. The ruling deepens concerns about political interference as Erdogan’s main rival remains jailed and plans to appeal.

Read it: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2026/01/23/t...

Opinion | How the American Legal Profession Can Regain Its Dignity

Former federal judges call on the U.S. legal profession to defend its independence and the rule of law after recent political pressure on major firms. A new set of ethical principles is proposed to protect lawyers, clients, and democracy.
🔗 www.nytimes.com/2026/01/19/o...

DOJ Prosecutors Resign Over ICE Shooting Investigation In January 2026, a wave of resignations swept the U.S. Department of Justice following its handling of the fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis by an ICE officer. At least four senior leaders from...

A wave of resignations at the DOJ after the department declined to investigate the fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis by an ICE officer. Senior civil rights prosecutors and federal attorneys in Minnesota say the decision crossed a red line.

Here it here: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2026/01/13/d...

Senate Republicans Call to Impeach Federal Judges Over Rulings Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans are urging the US House to impeach two federal judges over rulings they argue were politically motivated and harmful to the Trump administration. The effort targ...

Calls to impeach federal judges for blocking Trump’s policies signal an effort to punish judicial disagreement rather than judicial misconduct.

Read it here: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2026/01/07/s...

Democratic-led states challenge Trump administration’s attempt to defund CFPB A coalition of attorneys general from 21 U.S. states and the District of Columbia has filed a lawsuit to block the Trump administration’s effort to defund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFP...

Democratic attorneys general from 21 states and DC are suing to block the Trump administration’s attempt to defund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, arguing the move is unlawful and weakens a key consumer-protection institution.

Read it here: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/12/26/d...

1050 Bascom Editors and Hosts: Honor Durham, Allison Keeley, and Nama Pandey, and Ian Wilder Producer: Amy Gangl

Professor Kathryn Hendley, one of the founders of LADD, was featured on the 1050 Bascom podcast! She talks about her path to studying Russian law and the importance of understanding how lawyers navigate democratic backsliding.

Listen here:
soundcloud.com/user-3110569...

Rule of Law Under Strain in the UK: Parliamentary Committee Warns Against Attacks on Judges A new report from the UK House of Lords Constitution Committee warns that personal attacks on judges—by politicians and the media—are undermining public confidence in the rule of law. While open debat...

A new report from the UK House of Lords Constitution Committee warns that rising political and media attacks on judges are undermining trust in the rule of law. Undermining judicial independence isn’t “accountability”—it’s democratic backsliding.

Read it here: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/12/01/r...

Former Chief Justice Warns: Elected Officials Are Undermining Rule of Law in Israel At a major public law conference in Haifa, former Supreme Court president Esther Hayut delivered a stark warning about what she described as a growing assault on Israel’s judicial system. Hayut condem...

Israel: former Supreme Court chief justice Esther Hayut warns elected officials are “trampling the rule of law” by urging defiance of High Court rulings and delegitimizing the judiciary.

ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/12/06/f...

When Democracy Is Challenged LADD fosters a global network of scholars investigating the role of lawyers and judges in resisting and enabling authoritarianism in contexts of democratic backsliding.

Want to understand how lawyers shape the fight for democracy around the world?

Read more about the Lawyers and Democratic Decline (LADD) project in the Gargoyle, UW Law’s alumni magazine.

➡️ Full story here:

gargoyle.law.wisc.edu/2025/12/when...

Deputy AG Declares “War” on Judges, Vows to Strip Bar Associations’ Power U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche escalated the administration’s attacks on the judiciary, urging young lawyers to join what he called a “war” against “rogue activist judges.” Speaking at the ...

The Deputy AG just told young lawyers to join a “war” against “rogue judges”, and promised to sideline bar associations he calls “activist.”

Read it here: ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/11/10/d...

Poland: President Blocks Judicial Appointments Amid Deepening Conflict Over Court Independence Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki announced that he will refuse to nominate or promote any judges who question the legitimacy of colleagues appointed under the previous government’s judicial overhaul....

Poland’s president just announced he’ll block promotions + appointments of judges who questions the legitimacy of “neo-judges” appointed under the previous government’s disputed reforms. The move threatens the new gov’t’s efforts to roll back years of backsliding.

ladd.law.wisc.edu/2025/11/12/p...

Disparate Impact, Explained By rolling back “disparate impact” rules, the Trump administration threatens decades of progress against systemic discrimination in housing, jobs, and education.

The fight for racial justice isn’t over. The Trump admin’s rollback of disparate impact protections threatens decades of progress in housing, jobs & education.

The ACLU is pushing back.

Read it here: www.aclu.org/news/racial-...

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...