Legal Ethics

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​Close up of Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche testif​ying during a House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing​.

Blanche Is Targeting the D.C. Bar to Remove Ethical Guardrails for the Justice Department

Legal ethics expert warns Acting AG Todd Blanche's lawsuit against the DC Bar is part of a broader campaign to free DOJ lawyers from the ethical rules governing their peers.
An election observer coordinator for the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder stands on a walkway overlooking the Los Angeles County Ballot Processing Center in City of Industry, California, as workers process ballots during the June 2026 California state primary election.

The Last Check: Magistrate Judges and Federal Seizures of Election Records

A magistrate judge's review of a search-warrant application may be the last meaningful safeguard against federal interference in an election.
The frame of the photo is filled with a tightly packed crowd of judges in black robes and purple, blue, or fuscia neck ruffles, alongside members of the public. Polish, EU and other flags can be seen above them in the background, apparently carried by marchers.

Attacks on U.S. Legal Profession Reflect Global Slide in Countries It Once Aided

Political pressures like those used to silence legal professionals and undermine rule of law in Europe and Eurasia echo patterns of the autocratic playbook.
US Department of State building with sign in front

On the Role of State Department Career Attorneys

Ascribing indifference or, at worst, malevolent motives to career attorneys who are unable to refute such claims as they are bound by privilege is truly disappointing.
The International Criminal Court in the evening (via Getty Images)

From Bench to Ballot: Judicial Integrity and Political Ambition at the ICJ

ICJ president Nawaf Salam's resignation demonstrates why clear ethical boundaries are essential to the Court’s continued authority and legitimacy.
The office of the law firm Perkins Coie is seen on April 10, 2025 in Washington, DC.

No, the President Cannot Enforce the Law-Firm Deals

"First, are these agreements legally enforceable? Second, if not, what principled reasons do the firms have for keeping their part of these bargains?"
Drafting the Declaration of Independence in Antique Illustration (Getty Images)

No, the President Cannot Issue Bills of Attainder

Trump orders functioning as bills of attainder are prohibited by the Constitution and repugnant to its separation of powers.

The New “Blacklists” Work When Law Firms Stay Silent

In a recent internal memo, Brad Karp, the chairman of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, defended the firm’s refusal to challenge a presidential executive order targeting…
The episode title appears with sound waves behind it.

The Just Security Podcast: Politicization and Weaponization of the Justice Department in the Second Trump Administration

Just Security recently published a timeline of actions regarding the level of politicization and weaponization of the Department of Justice.
US Department of Justice building at night.
The episode title appears with sound waves behind it.

The Just Security Podcast: Repression of Lawyers in Belarus and Around the World

Nils Muiznieks, Maksim Polovinko, and Margaret Satterthwaite join the show to discuss the repression lawyers face in Belarus.
A view of the Independence Palace, the residence of Belarusian President

Solidarity Needed Amid Stranglehold on Belarusian Lawyers

Belarusian lawyers face severe threats under a near-total State-controlled legal system with hundreds disbarred or exiled simply for doing their jobs.
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