Targeting Law Firms Is Authoritarian: Congress Must Act Now

With alarming frequency, the Trump administration has begun targeting law firms that represent environmental, LGBTQ+, and police accountability causes, cutting them out of legal fights and chilling the entire profession. That includes both paid and pro bono work—critical services for the underrepresented and for holding power to account. Now, some of the country’s largest firms are refusing these cases merely to avoid becoming target practice (ProPublica, August 2025). This isn’t just politics. It’s authoritarianism by stealth. Law professor Scott Cummings calls these actions “authoritarian,” aiming to frighten lawyers away from representing causes Trump dislikes. The American Bar Association, more than 80 law school deans, and thousands of lawyers have condemned this coordinated attack on our system of justice. They warn this calculated intimidation undermines the First and Sixth Amendments and puts everyone’s right to representation at risk. The United States depends on brave lawyers, not bought-off yes-men. We ask you to act now. Support legislation that protects free legal representation. Conduct hearings into executive overreach. Publicly affirm that no administration, no matter how powerful, should be allowed to weaponize the legal system against dissent. Democracy demands lawyers who can stand for the people. We demand leaders who will do the same.