Rule of Law Facts & Resources

On this page are statements and reports issued by the New York City Bar Association, as well as resources from other organizations and individuals you might find useful. Check back from time to time for updates.

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Video: Judge J. Michael Luttig Honored by the NYC Bar, with Ali Velshi, Jennifer Rodgers, Asha Rangappa, John Gleeson and Dr. William Treanor

Video: Watch Ali Velshi’s follow-up interview with Judge Luttig on MS Now

Video: Former DOJ attorneys who have been forced out speak out

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City Bar Statements, Reports & News

• Opposition to Todd Blanche Nomination for U.S. Attorney General (7/13/26)
• On the Second Indictment of James Comey (4/30/26)
• On the U.S. Military Action Against Iran (4/27/26)
• On the President’s Threat That “A Whole Civilization Will Die Tonight”  (4/7/26)
• On the Department of Justice’s Proposed Rule to Displace State Investigation and Enforcement of Ethical Violations by DOJ Lawyers (4/6/26)
• Twenty-Seven Bar and Lawyer Associations File Amicus Brief on Executive Orders Targeting Law Firms (4/6/26)
• City Bar Urges Passage of State Immigration Protections (3/30/26)
• The Crisis Deepens: Congress Must Act Now to Address Escalating Abuses of Executive Power (3/9/26)
• Condemning President Trump’s Attacks on the Supreme Court (2/22/26)
• On the Threat of Use of Force Against Iran (2/21/26)
• On the Events in Minneapolis (1/29/26)
• On the Day of the Endangered Lawyer (1/22/26)
• VIDEO: Endangered Lawyers? Attorney Independence in the Department of Justice (1/20/26)
• Condemning the Use of Military Lawyers as Temporary Immigration Judges (1/15/26)
• Congress Must Act to Halt the President’s Violations of U.S. And International Law in Venezuela (1/5/26)
• The Abuse of Presidential Power and Breach of Public Trust (12/18/25)
• Attacking Judges is Antithetical to Constitutional Democracy (12/9/25)
• Deputy Attorney General’s “War” on the Judiciary is an Assault on Judicial Independence (11/17/25)
• The Trump Administration’s Early 2025 Changes to Immigration Law (Updated 10/10/25)
• Statement on the Indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James (10/10/25)
• Condemning the Indictment of Lambda Legal Attorney Carl Charles (10/7/25)
• Unlawful Attacks on Venezuelan Vessels (10/6/25)
• A Weaponized Justice Department is Antithetical to Democracy (9/29/25)
• ICE’s “Bureaucratic Trap” Undermining Due Process in Immigration Courts (7/7/25)
• Statement on Wearing of Masks by ICE Agents (6/20/25)
• Statement Condemning Unlawful Executive Actions Targeting Educational Institutions (6/13/25)
• Condemning the Arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan (5/2/25)
• Bar Associations File Amicus Brief in Support of Susman Godfrey (4/25/25)
• Watch a City Bar Program on “Defending Justice: Mobilizing the Legal Profession to Stand Up for the Rule of Law” (4/21/25)
• Bar Associations File Amicus Brief in Support of Jenner & Block and WilmerHale (4/11/25)
• Bar Associations File Amicus Brief in Support of Perkins Coie (4/8/25)
• The New York City Bar Association Supports the Jenner and WilmerHale Lawsuits (4/2/25)
• Statement Condemning Threats to Impeach Federal Judges Based on Disagreement with Rulings (3/31/25)
• Bar Associations’ Joint Statement in Defense of the Rule of Law and the Independence of the Legal Profession (3/24/25)
• Statement on the March 22, 2025 White House Memorandum on “Preventing Abuses of the Legal System and the Federal Court” (3/24/25)
• Statement of the New York City Bar Association on the Arrest and Detention of Mahmoud Khalil (3/17/25)
• The Executive Order on Birthright Citizenship is Unconstitutional (3/6/25)
• Calling on Congress to Preserve the International Legal Order (3/3/25)
• On the Improper Use of Government Power to Intimidate Law Firms and their Staff (2/27/25)
• FAQ on Timely Immigration/Nationality Topics (2/24/25)
• On United States v. Eric Adams (2/17/25)
• City Bar Supports Independence of the Federal Judiciary in Response to Personal Attacks on Judges (2/13/25)
• Statement in Support of Right to Counsel for Children Facing Immigration Removal Proceedings (2/11/25)
• Firings of Inspectors General Are Illegal and Invalid (2/10/25)
• ABA Adopts Unopposed City Bar Resolution on Supreme Court Ethics (2/3/25)
  • Read the City Bar’s report on Supreme Court Ethics
• Statement on Proposed Sanctions by the United States Government Against the ICC (1/16/25)
• Congress Must Clarify the Insurrection and Posse Comitatus Acts (1/15/25)
• The Rule of Law Task Force page of the New York City Bar Association has statements, reports and program videos on a wide array of issues going back several years.

Resources

• Threats to the Independence of the Federal Judiciary (8/31/26)
• Statement on Democracy and the Rule of Law by Bar Associations in New York State (7/2/25)
• American Bar Association files suit to halt government intimidation of lawyers and law firms (6/16/25)
• ABA’s Running List of Bar Association Statements in Response to Executive Orders
• Bar Associations Issue Joint Statement in Defense of the Rule of Law and the Independence of the Legal Profession (3/24/25)
• Bar Associations Issue Joint Statement in Defense of the Rule of Law and the Independence of the Legal Profession (3/24/25)
• We The Action has set up a Federal Workers Legal Defense Network in partnership with the AFL-CIO, the American Federation of Government Employees, and more to mobilize volunteer lawyers to provide laid off or fired federal workers with legal consultations. Lawyers who do not have experience in federal employment law matters will have access to free training from the Network.
• The Systemic Justice Project at Harvard Law School is launching the Justice Union, to bring together law students and lawyers eager to help respond to escalating attacks on civil rights, vulnerable communities, democratic institutions, and the environment.
• The International Bar Association “Stands in Support of the U.S. Legal Profession” (3/31/25)
• Joint Statement by Bar Associations throughout New York State regarding Presidential Executive Order #14173 “Ending Illegal Discrimination And Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity”
• Law School Deans’ Statement: “Punishing lawyers for their representation and advocacy violates the First Amendment and undermines the Sixth Amendment.” (3/26/25) Read more.
• Statement from the Nordic Bar Associations on the Importance of the Rule of Law and the Independence of the Legal Profession in the United States
• The ABA rejects efforts to undermine the courts and the legal profession
  “We can choose to remain silent and allow these acts to continue or we can stand for the rule of law and the values we hold dear. We call upon the entire profession, including lawyers who serve in elected positions, to speak out against intimidation.”
• Eighteen international bar associations on “Recent Targeting of Legal Professionals by the U.S. Government” (3/18/25)
• More than 1,000 law professors and law teachers sign statement: “We Believe We Are in a Constitutional Crisis” (2/25/25)
• What federal workers can do to protect themselves – from Protect Democracy.
• We The Action has set up a Public Service Legal Response Center connecting lawyers with volunteer opportunities to support federal workers.
• Just Security’s “Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions“
• Duke Law’s Bolch Judicial Institute is mobilizing the legal profession to defend judges and the judiciary from unjust attacks that threaten judicial independence and diminish public faith in our judicial system.
• Society for the Rule of Law‘s mission is to protect the Constitution and the rule of law against rising threats posed by illiberal forces in our society, without regard to political party or partisan affiliation.
• Demystifying President Trump’s “National Energy Emergency” and the Scope of Emergency Authority – From Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law