April 28, 2025
Law Students Call on the Legal Profession to Defend the Rule of Law
In response to the President’s attacks on lawyers, law firms, and judges, more than 1,200 law students from over 120 law schools around the country have signed on to a letter that calls on the legal profession to stand up against this administration’s attacks against the rule of law, challenge the President’s unlawful actions, and act in support of democracy and the rule of law.
The letter was drafted by twelve American Constitution Society student leaders. The letter, and signatories and list of schools represented follows:
The rule of law is under assault. Since the President took office three months ago, his administration has unleashed a bevy of attacks on lawyers, law firms, and federal judges. As current law students and aspiring members of the legal profession, we fear that the rule of law is eroding before our eyes, leaving the American justice system unrecognizable. We came to law school to fight for liberty and a more just and inclusive world. Preserving these ideals and goals for us and for future generations requires current members of the legal profession to stand up and defend the rule of law against this lawless administration.
This administration has taken consequential steps to eliminate protections for the rule of law, including the firing of more than a dozen top ethics attorneys from federal agencies. The President has since turned his ire outward, attacking lawyers and law firms who have represented the President’s political opponents, participated in investigations involving the President, or supported causes the President disfavors. The growing list of targeted firms includes: WilmerHale, Jenner & Block, Paul Weiss, Perkins Coie, and Covington & Burling. Firms that did not capitulate to the administration's demands have: had their government contracts threatened, had their staffs’ security clearances rescinded, and been barred from accessing federal buildings. The attacks against lawyers and law firms are ongoing and have expanded to include any lawyer or law firm that has litigated against the federal government in the last eight years. Furthermore, this administration has continued to attack the legal profession through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)’s investigation into law firm Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs. This administration has also repeatedly undermined and called for the impeachment of federal judges for simply fulfilling their sworn duty: administering justice and upholding the Constitution.
The President’s actions undermine the legal profession. These threats and attacks aim to obstruct and dissuade lawyers from taking on clients that oppose the President’s agenda, undermining their ability to seek justice. Retaliatory attacks against lawyers and judges threaten not only the rule of law, but also separation of powers, thereby attacking both the foundation of the American justice system and the fundamental principles of a constitutional democracy.
We join the American Bar Association, American Constitution Society, and bar organizations across the country in calling on all members of the legal profession to insist that the government maintain the rule of law. As Thomas Paine declared in Common Sense, “In America, the law is king,” not the Executive. This principle is the cornerstone of our democracy and the legal profession, and we recognize a special responsibility as aspiring attorneys to defend and protect it. Protecting our Nation’s democracy requires each and every person in the legal profession – our future peers and all legal organizations, including law firms – to actively oppose the President’s attacks on lawyers, judges, and legal institutions. Ultimately, there can be no legal profession without the rule of law.
Leaders at every level of the profession must stand together to defend the rule of law. We are heartened to see the groundswell of voices from across the profession, including, as of March 27, from academia, law school deans, law firms of all sizes (here, here, here, here, here, here, and here), bar associations (here and here), and states attorneys general, speaking out in favor of democratic principles. We also express resounding support for law firms who have fought back against the administration’s threats. We look forward to joining a legal profession that stands in solidarity to challenge the President’s unlawful actions, and in support of democracy and the rule of law. The time to speak out and act in defense of the rule of law is now.