"Crackdowns on the legal profession - lawyers, judges and prosecutors - are part of a longstanding authoritarian playbook used around the world to silence dissent. ... The tactics differ, but the aim is the same: to silence lawyers who represent politically targeted clients, judges who issue rulings that contradict the repressive government's political - and often personal - aims, and prosecutors who pursue cases against its favored allies."
"Whether through formal legislation or informal pressure, these measures aim to curtail legal advocacy, judicial independence, and the rule of law itself. The United States has long prided itself on a tradition of public interest lawyering rooted in the civil rights movement and sustained through legal aid, legal clinics, and pro bono representation carried forward by lawyers."
Former Justice Department lawyer Erez Reuveni described a disregard for due process and the rule of law during his final weeks at the Department of Justice. Crackdowns on the legal profession are framed as part of an authoritarian playbook used globally to silence dissent. Tactics vary but aim to silence lawyers representing politically targeted clients, judges issuing contrary rulings, and prosecutors pursuing cases against favored allies. Measures include formal legislation and informal pressure that curtail legal advocacy and judicial independence. The United States has a tradition of public interest lawyering rooted in the civil rights movement, institutionalized by organizations like the ACLU and NAACP LDF, though those organizations have faced criticism for professionalizing and depoliticizing grassroots movements.
Read at Above the Law
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