### NYC Bar Association Mobilizes Against Threats to Rule of Law Under Trump Administration
Hundreds of New York City lawyers gathered at the historic NYC Bar Association on Monday night for a fiery discussion titled *”Defending Justice: Mobilizing the Legal Profession to Stand Up for the Rule of Law.”* The event, marked by urgency and outrage, centered on resisting what attendees described as unprecedented attacks on judicial independence and executive overreach by the Trump administration. Lawyers called for protests, lawsuits, and op-eds to counter policies they view as undermining democracy, including threats against judges and controversial executive orders targeting major law firms. Bar Association President Muhammad U. Faridi set the tone, declaring, *”Lawyers do not serve the executive—they serve the law.”*
### Big Law Divided: Capitulation vs. Resistance
A key focus of the discussion was the growing rift between law firms that have complied with Trump’s executive orders—such as Paul Weiss, which struck a $940 million pro bono deal—and those fighting back, like Perkins Coie and Jenner & Block. Retired federal judge Shira A. Scheindlin drew applause by criticizing capitulating firms, arguing that unified resistance could have nullified what she called *”clearly unconstitutional orders.”* Meanwhile, concerns were raised about ethical barriers to collective action, as well as fears of retaliation—some lawyers admitted to wearing masks at protests to avoid professional repercussions. The atmosphere reflected deep anxiety, with one nonprofit lawyer revealing his organization had moved sensitive archives offsite in case of an FBI raid.
### Hope Amid Fear: Judicial Courage and Public Backlash
Despite the pervasive fear—exemplified by reports of judges receiving pizza-delivery death threats—attendees found glimmers of hope. Panelists cited the Supreme Court’s intervention to halt deportations and Harvard’s lawsuit against the administration as signs of resilience. Civil rights attorney Ilann Maazel highlighted an unexpected source of optimism: Republican voters in Iowa protesting the deportation of a Salvadoran man without due process. *”That just gave me the illuminance of hope,”* he said. The evening underscored both the legal profession’s alarm over democratic backsliding and its determination to resist, with Faridi’s warning echoing through the room: *”What we are witnessing today is not normal. And it must not be normalized.”*
Ez a cikk a Neural News AI (V1) verziójával készült.
Forrás: https://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-city-bar-association-trump-resistance-big-law-2025-4.