Attorneys, law students, and legal advocates are coming together with The Lawyers March for Democracy to declare what should be obvious: No one is above the law–not even the president.
The Constitutional Crisis is Here and the Legal Community Must Act Our nation is facing the worst constitutional crisis since the Civil War. President Trump’s ongoing defiance of legal norms–from usurping the power of the purse from Congress to issuing blatantly unconstitutional executive orders and treating them as if they are actual law to unilaterally declaring war on on-state actors and murdering random fishermen in the Caribbean–has not only undermined democracy, but exposed a troubling willingness by the highest court in the land to look the other way.
The Supreme Court has not only been complicit but has actively participated in Trump’s authoritarian project, siding with the administration over and over again while allowing him to continue blatantly unconstitutional actions without any public legal justification.
At the same time, the Trump Administration has systematically worked to silence the voices of the legal community - from threatening judges with impeachment and tacit violence to issuing executive orders in retaliation against law firms to stripping funding from attorneys who do critical work representing the most vulnerable among us.
Make no mistake, Trump understands that undermining the legal infrastructure of the nation while stacking the courts to rubber-stamp his agenda is critical to his plan to build an authoritarian regime in the United States with no checks or safeguards to stop him.
We, as the legal community, have a unique responsibility to use our skills and standing to push back against this grand heist of our democracy. While some Big Law firms have capitulated, others have fought back. Attorneys general across the country are stepping in to file critical lawsuits. Movement Lawyers continue to work alongside organizing formations every day to ensure that their essential work is supported. And despite unrelenting attacks, federal judges in the lower courts continue to serve as a critical bulwark against the worst abuses of this administration.
What is the Lawyers March for Democracy?
Convened by the legal justice organization, the People’s Parity Project, The Lawyers March for Democracy is a coalition of Lawyers, jurists, law students, and organizations committed to protecting the rule of law and the Constitution by building a legal resistance to authoritarianism.
What does the Lawyers March for Democracy stand for?
Legal professionals take an oath to uphold the Constitution, the rule of law, and equal justice. The Trump Administration’s ongoing defiance of legal norms and the Supreme Court’s active participation in advancing authoritarianism undermine Lawyers and jurists' ability to uphold the rule of law.
As the broader public rises up to reject authoritarianism, the Lawyers March for Democracy adds a critical voice: the Lawyers, jurists, and law students whose daily work depends on the rule of law functioning–and who now find themselves compelled to protest its erosion.
We will not stand silent as the Supreme Court enables a slide into lawlessness.
We will not normalize the abandonment of constitutional limits.
We are gathering to say loudly and clearly that we will not stand aside as the Court enables Trump’s authoritarianism.
We, as the legal community, have a unique responsibility to use our skills and expertise to defend our constitution and democracy bound by the universal principles of equality under the law and equal opportunity to the riches our country offers.
How can I get involved?
The Lawyers March for Democracy is a growing movement to organize the legal community to resist authoritarianism and protect the rule of law. Whether you’re barred, in school, retired, or simply committed to justice, come stand with us and show that the legal community is watching—and taking action. After our campaign kickoff on November 15, we will support further events across the cross to build a nationwide organizing effort on campuses, in courtrooms, law firms and everywhere that legal professionals are committed to upholding their oath to the Constitution.
Organizational partners of the Lawyers March for Democracy include People's Parity Project, Alliance for Justice, ACLU, American Constitution Society, Lambda Legal, Project South, Lawyers for Good Government, Women Lawyers on Guard, and Virginia Poverty Law Center
