It would be tempting to think of Alexei Navalny’s death as a sad event in a far-off place.  But are we really so far away?  Navalny, the most high-profile critic of Vladimir Putin in Russia, was harassed, poisoned, and jailed repeatedly, the final time at a penal colony north of the Arctic Circle, where he died on February 16.

A disturbing comment by the Attorney General of Indiana reflects just how severe the threats to the rule of law are. 

Last week, AG Todd Rokita released a new version of his "Parents' Bill of Rights." The stated intent of the document is to answer questions parents may have about how students and educators can express their religious beliefs at school. 

Yesterday’s indictment of Donald Trump serves as an inflection point for this country. How we respond to a process that has no precedent in American history will send a message to the world about the strength of our democracy. 

It is time to outright reject the characterization of this Supreme Court as composed of a conservative majority and liberal minority. The Court has demonstrated that it is now dominated by ideologues with an agenda to remove rights and protections carefully developed and built upon over decades of jurisprudence.  

Yet again, there is reason to lose trust and confidence in the United States Supreme Court. This time, it is hard to know which is worse: that a Justice enjoyed a lavish vacation complete with private jet travel, courtesy of a hedge fund manager with litigation before the Court, or that the Justice anticipated the bad press with an arrogant defense of his behavior.

The fight to preserve democracy is being waged within each state – local clashes that have significant meaning far beyond local borders. Such an example is occurring this week in Tennessee, where state lawmakers are acting with alarming speed and without a legitimate process to expel three of their colleagues for leading an anti-gun demonstration in the House less than one week ago. 

Lawyers Defending American Democracy mourns the loss of Marianne Meacham, a member of our board, who died on Sunday, February 26.

Marianne was an extraordinary lawyer and friend. She believed passionately in the need for lawyers to speak out to protect democracy and the rule of law. She saw clearly the dangers facing our country, and stepped forward to meet those challenges by volunteering her time, energy, and considerable intellect to our organization, assisting in a variety of ways.