No Place is Immune: What Attacks on Lawyers Mean for Justice Everywhere

By Cara Echino, Founder of Lawggle
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Imagine this: you’re caught in the middle of the biggest fight of your life. Maybe it’s a high-profile case splashed across the news. Maybe it’s a messy custody battle, a whistleblower claim, or a lawsuit against someone with deep pockets and political power.
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You finally find a lawyer willing to stand up for you… and then they back out. Not because your case is weak. Not because you can’t pay. But because taking you on might cost them their security clearance, their government contracts, or even their ability to walk into a courthouse.

The Chilling Effect Is Real

This isn’t a hypothetical. According to reports, lawyers in the U.S. are already facing consequences for the cases they take on:
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• Firms have lost government contracts.
• Attorneys have had clearances revoked.
• Access to federal courts has been restricted.

(Politico)
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The message is chilling: if you represent the “wrong” client, you’ll pay the price.
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But here’s the problem... if lawyers are too afraid to take your case, then justice isn’t accessible to everyone. It becomes selective. And once justice becomes selective, democracy starts to crack.

The ABA Sounds the Alarm

Michelle Behnke, President of the American Bar Association (ABA), recently warned that “no place is immune” from these attacks on lawyer independence (The Guardian).
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This is about more than politics. It’s about whether lawyers can still do their jobs without fear of retaliation, and whether you, as a client, can still find someone who will fight for you when it matters most.
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The ABA has already passed a resolution condemning political interference and standing firm on lawyer independence (Reuters). But resolutions are only words unless they’re backed by action and solidarity from lawyers and citizens alike.

Compromise or Courage?

Some law firms have responded to the pressure by cutting deals: offering millions in free legal work in exchange for relief from government retaliation (Politico). Others have chosen to fight back in court.
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Both choices reveal the impossible bind lawyers are in:
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• Protect your firm’s survival.
• Or protect the principle of independence.
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But once independence is compromised, it’s incredibly hard to win it back. And ordinary people )the clients) are the ones who pay the price.

Why This Matters to You

Even if you never expect to be in a high-profile or controversial case, the principle still matters. Because if lawyers can be punished for who they represent, no client is truly safe.
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• Who takes on the whistleblower exposing corporate fraud?
• Who stands beside the parent in a heated custody battle?
• Who defends the protester, the journalist, the everyday citizen caught in the crossfire of politics?
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If lawyers are silenced, those clients are left standing alone. And justice without representation isn’t justice at all.

My Take as a Founder

This issue hits home. It’s not just about lawyers. It’s about the people who need them.
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The independence of lawyers is not a luxury, it’s the foundation of a fair system. Lawyers deserve the freedom to represent their clients without fear, and clients deserve the confidence that someone will take their case, no matter how controversial it might be.
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That principle is not optional. It’s essential. And at Lawggle, it’s why we’ll keep pushing for visibility, trust, and access, so when you need a lawyer most, you can actually find one who will stand beside you.

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