Like it or not, lawyers serve a vital function in our democracy. They're like society's plungers — nobody wants to need one, but when you do, you REALLY do, and you want a good one. President Trump has launched a new attack on attorneys who dare to challenge his administration – a move that should concern everyone, regardless of political affiliation, who isn't actively trying to build a dictatorship.
This past week, Trump signed a memorandum directing his Attorney General, Pam Bondi — a woman whose qualifications include being Florida's AG and appearing on Fox News more times than the MyPillow guy — to target attorneys who litigate against the federal government. He's essentially saying, "Sue my administration? I'll end your entire career!"
It's the legal equivalent of a child flipping the Monopoly board when they land on Boardwalk with a hotel, except in this case, the child controls the world's most powerful military.
The memo instructs Bondi to seek sanctions against attorneys engaged in what they deem "frivolous" litigation – which, coming from Trump, almost certainly means "litigation I don't like." It also calls for revoking security clearances and terminating federal contracts.
In even plainer terms, this administration is targeting attorneys' livelihoods simply for representing clients against the government. And if that sounds like a dictator move, that's because it absolutely is.
This isn't even Trump's first attack on the legal profession. Since February, his administration has been systematically targeting major law firms like Paul Weiss, Perkins Coie, and Covington & Burling. And these aren't obscure law firms – they're the equivalent of the Walmarts of law, except instead of selling you socks and existential dread for $8.99, they charge $1,000 an hour to read your emails.
And, unfortunately, it's working.
Paul Weiss – a firm with more resources than some small countries – completely capitulated to Trump's demands, abandoning their diversity policies and committing $40 million in pro bono services to whatever Trump directs them to.
Yes, you read that correctly. A massive law firm with armies of Harvard-educated attorneys was so intimidated by Trump that they effectively said, "Please don't hurt us, here's $40 million and we'll stop hiring minorities." That should send chills down your spine. And, unlike every member of the GOP, you likely still have an intact spine.
Trump is especially targeting immigration lawyers, because apparently helping asylum seekers understand their legal rights is now considered suspicious activity. That's like saying firefighters who tell you to stop, drop, and roll are "coaching you on how to lie about being on fire."
What's happening here is not just an attack on lawyers – it's an attack on the entire concept of representation. The right to counsel is fundamental to our democracy. Without it, it's just Trump, his enablers/supporters, and a bunch of people saying, "Well, I guess this is my life now."
Some legal organizations are sounding alarm bells, with the New York State Bar Association saying these orders "threaten to upend a bedrock principle of the American legal system." And when bar associations are panicking, you know things are bad, as these are people who consider "mildly concerned head nodding" to be an extreme emotional response.
What can we do?
Well, ideally Congress would step in, but they're about as likely to act decisively as a sloth on Ambien. The courts could intervene, but that requires someone to sue – and guess who's now terrified to sue the government?
All this is happening in broad daylight, and it's not getting nearly enough attention. When lawyers can't represent clients against the government without fear of punishment, we've moved beyond partisanship into genuine authoritarianism. This isn't about Democrats or Republicans – it's about whether we want to continue being a democracy where laws matter, or become a country where the president's personal vendettas dictate who gets legal representation.