Lawyers Defending American Democracy
@ldadorg.bsky.social
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
The rule of law depends on a functioning government. Even though the shutdown has ended, court-appointed defense lawyers and their clients are still stuck in delays and backlogs — meaning constitutional rights for many are still on hold.
#RuleOfLaw #AccessToJustice
#RuleOfLaw #AccessToJustice
The longest U.S. government shutdown in history is officially over, but the fallout will continue to hit federally funded defense lawyers and the people they represent.
Court-appointed lawyers and their clients face fallout from government shutdown, funding crisis
The longest U.S. government shutdown in history is officially over, but the fallout will continue to hit federally funded defense lawyers and the people they represent.
bit.ly
November 17, 2025 at 9:34 PM
The rule of law depends on a functioning government. Even though the shutdown has ended, court-appointed defense lawyers and their clients are still stuck in delays and backlogs — meaning constitutional rights for many are still on hold.
#RuleOfLaw #AccessToJustice
#RuleOfLaw #AccessToJustice
Our elected officials represent us. We must hold them accountable.
This is not the time to give up, it is a time to Meet the Moment. We wholeheartedly agree with @joycewhitevance.bsky.social. Don't give up, speak out.
This is not the time to give up, it is a time to Meet the Moment. We wholeheartedly agree with @joycewhitevance.bsky.social. Don't give up, speak out.
Civic participation doesn’t just mean voting — it means holding our elected officials accountable. Joyce Vance discusses her new book on the latest episode of The Briefing with Michael Waldman. Watch: bit.ly/3JN1BJC
November 13, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Our elected officials represent us. We must hold them accountable.
This is not the time to give up, it is a time to Meet the Moment. We wholeheartedly agree with @joycewhitevance.bsky.social. Don't give up, speak out.
This is not the time to give up, it is a time to Meet the Moment. We wholeheartedly agree with @joycewhitevance.bsky.social. Don't give up, speak out.
📌 This report on Fox News from @propublica.org is incredibly disturbing. Disinformation appears to be the basis for both a presidential decision and for a piece of popular support. We need our media sources to tell us the truth. Fox News must do better. Why? 🧵
www.propublica.org/article/port...
www.propublica.org/article/port...
“Riots Raging”: The Misleading Story Fox News Told About Portland Before Trump Sent Troops
After reviewing coverage from the network and hours of social media videos that preceded Trump’s decision, ProPublica found that Fox’s portrayal of “Portland rioters” routinely instigating violence wa...
www.propublica.org
November 13, 2025 at 3:27 PM
📌 This report on Fox News from @propublica.org is incredibly disturbing. Disinformation appears to be the basis for both a presidential decision and for a piece of popular support. We need our media sources to tell us the truth. Fox News must do better. Why? 🧵
www.propublica.org/article/port...
www.propublica.org/article/port...
Last night on @pbsnews.org Judge Mark L. Wolf offered a brilliant explanation of democracy.
📣 "[D]emocracy is the rule of law. And if court orders are disobeyed, then the president has absolute power. Judges don't have armies to enforce their orders..." 🧵
www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...
📣 "[D]emocracy is the rule of law. And if court orders are disobeyed, then the president has absolute power. Judges don't have armies to enforce their orders..." 🧵
www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...
Prominent conservative judge resigns, calling Trump 'uniquely dangerous'
Mark Wolf, a Reagan-appointed federal judge, is resigning after four decades on the bench, and he’s sounding the alarm. In an essay published by The Atlantic, he wrote, “The White House’s assault on t...
www.pbs.org
November 12, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Last night on @pbsnews.org Judge Mark L. Wolf offered a brilliant explanation of democracy.
📣 "[D]emocracy is the rule of law. And if court orders are disobeyed, then the president has absolute power. Judges don't have armies to enforce their orders..." 🧵
www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...
📣 "[D]emocracy is the rule of law. And if court orders are disobeyed, then the president has absolute power. Judges don't have armies to enforce their orders..." 🧵
www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...
November 11, 2025 at 2:28 PM
We celebrate Judge Mark L. Wolf's decision to resign from the bench so he can work to preserve our democracy. His description of what justice means is clear: That is how justice is supposed to be administered—equally for everyone, without fear or favor. This is the opposite of what is happening now.
“I no longer can bear to be restrained by what judges can say publicly or do outside the courtroom,” Judge Mark L. Wolf writes on his decision to resign from the federal bench. “President Trump is using the law for partisan purposes”:
Why I Am Resigning
A federal judge explains his reasoning for leaving the bench.
bit.ly
November 10, 2025 at 2:52 PM
We celebrate Judge Mark L. Wolf's decision to resign from the bench so he can work to preserve our democracy. His description of what justice means is clear: That is how justice is supposed to be administered—equally for everyone, without fear or favor. This is the opposite of what is happening now.
Are you concerned about recent challenges to free speech? Our recent webinar, Free Speech Under Siege: Echoes of McCarthyism is worth watching. Gary Simpson, Erwin Chemerinsky, Kermit Roosevelt, and Nadine Strossen have an important conversation. 🧵
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm6p...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm6p...
Free Speech Under Siege: Echoes of McCarthyism (Meeting the Moment Webinar)
YouTube video by Lawyers Defending American Democracy
www.youtube.com
November 7, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Are you concerned about recent challenges to free speech? Our recent webinar, Free Speech Under Siege: Echoes of McCarthyism is worth watching. Gary Simpson, Erwin Chemerinsky, Kermit Roosevelt, and Nadine Strossen have an important conversation. 🧵
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm6p...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm6p...
What is at issue in the tariffs case the Supreme Court heard yesterday? One critical issue is separation of powers as described in the Constitution. Interested in learning more? @scotusblog.com has an excellent recap.
New from Amy Howe: The Supreme Court on Wednesday seemed skeptical of President Donald Trump’s authority to impose sweeping tariffs in a series of executive orders earlier this year.
Court appears dubious of Trump’s tariffs
The Supreme Court on Wednesday seemed skeptical of President Donald Trump’s authority to impose sweeping tariffs in a series of executive orders earlier this year. During more than two-and-a-half hour...
www.scotusblog.com
November 6, 2025 at 9:02 PM
What is at issue in the tariffs case the Supreme Court heard yesterday? One critical issue is separation of powers as described in the Constitution. Interested in learning more? @scotusblog.com has an excellent recap.
🥳 As an organization committed to democracy, we are celebrating today. Why? Because so many Americans went to the polls and cast their votes yesterday. NYC and VA saw their highest turnouts in a non presidential election. This is Democracy In Action.
cvillerightnow.com/news/208802-...
cvillerightnow.com/news/208802-...
Virginia sees highest-ever voter turnout in non-Presidential Election year - Cville Right Now
Over 3.3 million Virginians voted in this year’s election, the most in the Commonwealth’s history for a non-presidential election year.
cvillerightnow.com
November 5, 2025 at 5:16 PM
🥳 As an organization committed to democracy, we are celebrating today. Why? Because so many Americans went to the polls and cast their votes yesterday. NYC and VA saw their highest turnouts in a non presidential election. This is Democracy In Action.
cvillerightnow.com/news/208802-...
cvillerightnow.com/news/208802-...
SCOTUS has increasingly been issuing orders and/or making decisions on the shadow docket. What does this mean? Why are so many lawyers so worried about this? @rbreich.bsky.social explains it beautifully.
youtu.be/xtiISydG9l0?...
youtu.be/xtiISydG9l0?...
The Supreme Court’s “Shadow Docket,” Explained
YouTube video by Robert Reich
youtu.be
November 4, 2025 at 8:01 PM
SCOTUS has increasingly been issuing orders and/or making decisions on the shadow docket. What does this mean? Why are so many lawyers so worried about this? @rbreich.bsky.social explains it beautifully.
youtu.be/xtiISydG9l0?...
youtu.be/xtiISydG9l0?...
We are actively responding to the extraordinary threats facing our nation. We have filed numerous amicus briefs, profiled Project 2025’s authoritarian roots & its ties to recent executive actions, launched our Meeting the Moment initiative & so much else.
Please support our work. ldad.org/donate
Please support our work. ldad.org/donate
November 3, 2025 at 10:08 PM
We are actively responding to the extraordinary threats facing our nation. We have filed numerous amicus briefs, profiled Project 2025’s authoritarian roots & its ties to recent executive actions, launched our Meeting the Moment initiative & so much else.
Please support our work. ldad.org/donate
Please support our work. ldad.org/donate
Are you concerned about the rise of authoritarianism? LDAD's Executive Director, Lauren Stiller Rikleen, is speaking about this as part of an impressive panel sponsored by the Newburyport Bar Association. Thursday, November 6th. Sign up now.
gnba.ticketbud.com/the-rise-of-...
gnba.ticketbud.com/the-rise-of-...
The Rise of Authoritarianism: What's Happening to Our Rights? | Get Tickets in Newburyport | Ticketbud
The Rise of Authoritarianism: What's Happening to Our Rights? - Newburyport - November 6, 2025 at 145 High Street, Newburyport, MA, USA. Find event and ticket information on Ticketbud.
gnba.ticketbud.com
October 31, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Are you concerned about the rise of authoritarianism? LDAD's Executive Director, Lauren Stiller Rikleen, is speaking about this as part of an impressive panel sponsored by the Newburyport Bar Association. Thursday, November 6th. Sign up now.
gnba.ticketbud.com/the-rise-of-...
gnba.ticketbud.com/the-rise-of-...
📌 Register NOW for our Nov. 20 webinar, From the Social Media Feed to the Courtroom: How Judges and Jurors Remain Impartial. We'll have a conversation about the impact of the constant barrage of social media and public commentary on judicial proceedings. 🧵
ldad.org/letters-brie...
ldad.org/letters-brie...
October 29, 2025 at 2:24 PM
📌 Register NOW for our Nov. 20 webinar, From the Social Media Feed to the Courtroom: How Judges and Jurors Remain Impartial. We'll have a conversation about the impact of the constant barrage of social media and public commentary on judicial proceedings. 🧵
ldad.org/letters-brie...
ldad.org/letters-brie...
James B. Kobak, an @ldadorg.bsky.social volunteer, recently wrote an article for the Albany Times Union on the administration's ongoing attempts to undermine and attack judges. He has thoughts on why they may be doing this and what it means for the rule of law.
www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
Commentary: Attacks on judges have a frightening purpose
It's not just bluster or politics; belittling the judiciary is a crucial step toward authoritarianism — and dismantling the rule of law.
www.timesunion.com
October 28, 2025 at 7:22 PM
James B. Kobak, an @ldadorg.bsky.social volunteer, recently wrote an article for the Albany Times Union on the administration's ongoing attempts to undermine and attack judges. He has thoughts on why they may be doing this and what it means for the rule of law.
www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
The administration's actions in the Caribbean attacking small boats they say are ferrying drugs is another way they are flouting the law. This article in the @nytimes.com offers the many reasons these actions deviate from the past and reveal legal gaps. 🧵
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/24/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/24/u...
The Peril of a White House That Flaunts Its Indifference to the Law
www.nytimes.com
October 27, 2025 at 12:50 PM
The administration's actions in the Caribbean attacking small boats they say are ferrying drugs is another way they are flouting the law. This article in the @nytimes.com offers the many reasons these actions deviate from the past and reveal legal gaps. 🧵
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/24/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/24/u...
"It is becoming clearer than ever that the rule of law in the White House has depended chiefly on norms — on government lawyers willing to raise objections when merited and to resign in protest if ignored, and on presidents who want to appear law-abiding."
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/24/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/24/u...
The Peril of a White House That Flaunts Its Indifference to the Law
www.nytimes.com
October 24, 2025 at 8:21 PM
"It is becoming clearer than ever that the rule of law in the White House has depended chiefly on norms — on government lawyers willing to raise objections when merited and to resign in protest if ignored, and on presidents who want to appear law-abiding."
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/24/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/24/u...
Free speech is under siege. Join us on Tues, Nov. 4 @ 4pmET to learn more & to hear from Gary Simpson of @merceruniversity.bsky.social, Erwin Chemerinsky of @ucberkeleylaw.bsky.social, Kermit Roosevelt of Penn Carey Law School, and Nadine Strossen of New York Law School.
ldad.org/letters-brie...
ldad.org/letters-brie...
October 23, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Free speech is under siege. Join us on Tues, Nov. 4 @ 4pmET to learn more & to hear from Gary Simpson of @merceruniversity.bsky.social, Erwin Chemerinsky of @ucberkeleylaw.bsky.social, Kermit Roosevelt of Penn Carey Law School, and Nadine Strossen of New York Law School.
ldad.org/letters-brie...
ldad.org/letters-brie...
What is at stake if universities--and other parts of society--give into pressure from the administration. Michael Roth, the President of @wesleyanuniversity.bsky.social laid it out brilliantly in his essay in @thebulwark.com. 🧵
www.thebulwark.com/p/colleges-u...
www.thebulwark.com/p/colleges-u...
What’s a College President to Do in the Trump Era?
Not going on bended knee to Washington would be a good start.
www.thebulwark.com
October 22, 2025 at 3:58 PM
What is at stake if universities--and other parts of society--give into pressure from the administration. Michael Roth, the President of @wesleyanuniversity.bsky.social laid it out brilliantly in his essay in @thebulwark.com. 🧵
www.thebulwark.com/p/colleges-u...
www.thebulwark.com/p/colleges-u...
While this outcome has been widely reported, more attention should be paid to the what the judges said...
"Political opposition is not rebellion. A protest does not become a rebellion merely because the protestors advocate for myriad legal or policy changes, are well organized..." 🧵
"Political opposition is not rebellion. A protest does not become a rebellion merely because the protestors advocate for myriad legal or policy changes, are well organized..." 🧵
#BREAKING The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refuses to undo an order blocking deployment of National Guard troops within Illinois.
"We conclude that the district court's factual findings … were not clearly erroneous, and that the facts do not justify the President's actions in Illinois."
"We conclude that the district court's factual findings … were not clearly erroneous, and that the facts do not justify the President's actions in Illinois."
October 20, 2025 at 6:44 PM
While this outcome has been widely reported, more attention should be paid to the what the judges said...
"Political opposition is not rebellion. A protest does not become a rebellion merely because the protestors advocate for myriad legal or policy changes, are well organized..." 🧵
"Political opposition is not rebellion. A protest does not become a rebellion merely because the protestors advocate for myriad legal or policy changes, are well organized..." 🧵
Recently, LDAD Executive Director Lauren Stiller Rikleen participated in a program at the Rappaport Center for Law and Public Policy at Boston College Law School.
The topic... Sword or Shield? Bar Discipline in a Polarized Era.
Listen here ⬇️
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg7J...
The topic... Sword or Shield? Bar Discipline in a Polarized Era.
Listen here ⬇️
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg7J...
Sword or Shield? Bar Discipline in a Polarized Era
YouTube video by BC Law
www.youtube.com
October 17, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Recently, LDAD Executive Director Lauren Stiller Rikleen participated in a program at the Rappaport Center for Law and Public Policy at Boston College Law School.
The topic... Sword or Shield? Bar Discipline in a Polarized Era.
Listen here ⬇️
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg7J...
The topic... Sword or Shield? Bar Discipline in a Polarized Era.
Listen here ⬇️
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg7J...
In speaking out, Jack Smith is standing up for all career prosecutors. He explains why they must be politically neutral. He also explains why he has waited until now to speak out. His words and actions illustrate how dramatically things have changed when compared to today's DoJ. 🧵
Jack Smith on what it means to say No Kings.
Morning Shots featuring @saletan.bsky.social @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social @eggerdc.bsky.social, only @thebulwark.com: www.thebulwark.com/p/jack-smith...
Morning Shots featuring @saletan.bsky.social @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social @eggerdc.bsky.social, only @thebulwark.com: www.thebulwark.com/p/jack-smith...
Jack Smith’s Not-So-Subtle Message
In two recent appearances, the former special counsel explained his view of what it means to say ‘No Kings.’
www.thebulwark.com
October 16, 2025 at 2:12 PM
In speaking out, Jack Smith is standing up for all career prosecutors. He explains why they must be politically neutral. He also explains why he has waited until now to speak out. His words and actions illustrate how dramatically things have changed when compared to today's DoJ. 🧵
Almost all of the journalists who cover the Department of Defense have turned in their passes because they wouldn't comply with the Pentagon's new rules. DoD says it's a privilege not a right to cover their work. NO it is the right of the American people to know what is happening. ⬇️
October 16, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Almost all of the journalists who cover the Department of Defense have turned in their passes because they wouldn't comply with the Pentagon's new rules. DoD says it's a privilege not a right to cover their work. NO it is the right of the American people to know what is happening. ⬇️
The Florida Supreme Court has ruled that @ldadorg.bsky.social and its coalition partners lacked a legal right to demand that the they require the Florida Bar follow its own rules and investigate claims that Attorney General Pamela Bondi has acted unethically. 🧵
ldad.org/letters-brie...
ldad.org/letters-brie...
October 15, 2025 at 3:49 PM
The Florida Supreme Court has ruled that @ldadorg.bsky.social and its coalition partners lacked a legal right to demand that the they require the Florida Bar follow its own rules and investigate claims that Attorney General Pamela Bondi has acted unethically. 🧵
ldad.org/letters-brie...
ldad.org/letters-brie...
As this article astutely argues, authoritarians work "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." 🧵
Crackdowns on lawyers, judges, prosecutors are part of a longstanding authoritarian playbook used globally to silence dissent.
Jasmine Cameron, Fernanda Nicola, and Natalie Landau examine the responses in a half dozen countries and possible lessons for the US legal community:
Jasmine Cameron, Fernanda Nicola, and Natalie Landau examine the responses in a half dozen countries and possible lessons for the US legal community:
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 autocratic patterns.
www.justsecurity.org
October 14, 2025 at 4:42 PM
As this article astutely argues, authoritarians work "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." 🧵
"The rule of law and our democracy rest on core principles, including civil disagreement and the pursuit of justice without fear or favor… These principles must be defended even when doing so is inconvenient or costly...
@nytopinion.nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/o...
@nytopinion.nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/o...
Opinion | I Resigned as Manhattan’s U.S. Attorney. Law Schools Are Missing the Point of My Story.
www.nytimes.com
October 13, 2025 at 3:40 PM
"The rule of law and our democracy rest on core principles, including civil disagreement and the pursuit of justice without fear or favor… These principles must be defended even when doing so is inconvenient or costly...
@nytopinion.nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/o...
@nytopinion.nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/o...