Lawyers Defending American Democracy - LDAD

10/16/2026

⚖️ to ensure that if a tree falls, it does not go unheard, it shows us what is at stake when the government ignores judicial directives: irreparable harm to our public spaces, the rule of law, and the integrity of American democracy itself.

🏛️ On October 13, Judge Ana C. Reyes issued an emergency order immediately halting the destruction of D.C.'s historic East Potomac Golf Course. The judge had previously declined to enter an injunction, giving the government the benefit of the doubt: “I want to trust that people are acting in good faith… until proven otherwise.”

🌲 But that trust was shattered when the Department of the Interior (DOI) secretly razed nearly 430 non-hazardous, healthy trees over a holiday weekend, breaching its explicit assurances to the court. The judge issued a blistering rebuke: “Breakneck speed to clear trees that posed no harm. The reason? Disputed. The budget? Unclear. The environmental impact? Unstudied. The urgency? None.”

🚨 This case is about far more than trees. It exposes what happens when an administration spurns judicial directives, abuses a court's trust, and forces government lawyers into court to defend bad-faith actions—effectively shattering the rule of law and undermining the separation of powers that safeguards our democracy.

👏 When the government proved itself untrustworthy, Judge Reyes demonstrated how the judiciary can and will step up to protect the environment and the rule of law from irreparable harm. Join LDAD in amplifying moments to demand truth, good faith, and accountability from our government!

10/09/2026

🚨 ACTION ALERT: SPEAK OUT AGAINST TAXPAYER-FUNDED POLITICAL ADS!

📺 The administration spent nearly $12 million in public funds on TV ads promoting the President. The ads were just part of a larger $20 million contract for political promotion in the lead up to the midterm elections. In response to backlash, Trump announced he would pay for the ads himself or thru his Maga Inc. Super PAC.

💰 Shifting payments to a Super PAC does *not* resolve legal questions around the ads. Using public funds for political purposes diverts taxpayer resources, and the use of Super PAC funding raises concerns about campaign finance violations. Political promotion must never be disguised as public service, nor should government authority or funds be used to influence an election.

✊ Our Action Alert details how this administration’s “flood the zone” strategy continues to run afoul of federal law and outlines 4 immediate steps you can take, including: contacting Congress, filing complaints with federal oversight agencies & demanding broadcast networks pause these ads.

🔗 https://ldad.org/letters-briefs/action-alert-propaganda

10/06/2026

🇺🇸 The true spirit of America's 250th anniversary is not found in looking backward, but in actively protecting the democratic ideals we hold dear today.

🗽Our ongoing essay series in the The Fulcrum channels this urgency, breaking down the core principles of our republic and exploring our shared responsibility to uphold them.

📰 In her featured essay "The Rule of Law Is Simple—and Essential to American Democracy," LDAD volunteer Arlene Rosenberg demystifies the core of our legal system and explains why it matters to everyday citizens.

✨ Arlene reminds us that a law degree is not required to understand why the rule of law matters, noting: "As the custodians of our nation's foundational principle, lawyers must make clear that 'rule of law' is not a technical legal concept. It is a set of straightforward ideas about fundamental fairness that everyone can agree on."

🔗 Read this important essay, and the others in the series, on LDAD's website. Follow along on social media as we continue to celebrate our nation's 250th, highlighting its founding values and calling on YOU to join us in defending those values today!

10/03/2026

⚖️ to protect Americans from the weaponization of government power, it exposes an alarming reality: our courts are now forced to pre-emptively defend innocent people from meritless prosecutions and harassment.

🏛️ In an extraordinary ruling, D.C. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman dismissed federal felony charges against former Olympian David Hearn, brought for allegedly damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The charges were dismissed "with prejudice,” permanently blocking the government from ever reviving them. Writing that the situation was unlike any case he could recall, Judge Edelman said the government "shot first and asked questions later" in a rushed, meritless indictment over damage that the record clearly showed was caused by contractor error.

🚨 The decision pointed to President Trump’s attacks on U.S. Attorney Jean Pirro after she moved to dismiss the case as evidence of the "extraordinary possibility" that Hearn would continue to face politically motivated prosecution. Given this risk, the Court found it had “an obligation to protect [Hearn] from... what, objectively, would be harassment."

🛡️ It is deeply troubling when the judiciary must stand as a shield against a President abusing the justice system for retaliation and political cover, but our democracy now depends on courts and judges bravely taking this stand. Let’s show them that we do not take this bravery for granted.

🙏Join LDAD in showing appreciation for & amplifying moments to protect ‘We the People’ from the weaponization of government power.

10/01/2026

The energy of our volunteers is infectious, and we love to see their work recognized. The Portland Press Herald recently highlighted the efforts of Jed Davis, our co-State Lead for in Maine: https://tinyurl.com/LDADMTM

We could not be prouder of Jed for modeling what it means to be a when history calls on you.

Inspired? Sign up to volunteer w/ LDAD and get engaged in local initiatives that impact your community. The time is now.

Earlier this year, Jed Davis founded a Maine chapter for Lawyers Defending American Democracy.

09/28/2026

Celebrating America’s 250th anniversary isn't just about marking a historical milestone—it’s an ongoing call for collective action to protect the values and principles that sustain American democracy.

🇺🇸 Our essay series in the The Fulcrum embodies this way of viewing the anniversary and rallies legal professionals and citizens alike to step up to the plate.

📰 The third installment in the series, "Answering the Call, Lawyers Must Lead the Defense of Democracy" by our co-State Lead for in Texas, Michael Curry, is particularly inspirational-- reminding the American people of our shared responsibility to *actively* counter the unprecedented strain our core institutions face.

✨ The essay challenges us to take our advocacy further in recognition of the urgency of the moment, noting: "It is important to identify and condemn undemocratic actions in traditional and social media. But full-throated opposition often requires us to leave our comfort zone. A protest gains power when it is in person, in public, and in concert with fellow citizens. This is the collective voice represented by the Declaration."

🔗 Read Michael's essay, and the others in the series, on LDAD's website. Follow along on social media as we continue to celebrate our nation's 250th, highlighting its founding values and calling on YOU to join us in defending those values today!

09/24/2026

⚖️ to raise concerns about the White House distorting facts or making up pretexts to justify executive overreach, it defends the fundamental design of our Constitution and democracy.

📰 Around 1 am this morning, U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly issued an emergency temporary restraining order in CNN, Inc. et al. v. Trump, mandating the White House “to immediately return, reinstate and restore” press access for journalists while litigation proceeds on the media ban.

🔍 Considering the administration's total lack of evidence linking press access to national security risks and the President’s own Truth Social posts about the ban, Judge Kelly questioned the veracity of the claimed justification, saying: “The Court is skeptical—at least on this record—that Defendants’ interest in safeguarding national security is the actual motivation.”

🛑 Even if it had a worthy justification for revoking press access, the White House must respect due process in doing so. Judge Kelly noted that the administration seemingly violated 5th Amendment guarantees like fair notice in its unjustifiably hurried implementation of the ban. Far from a technicality, these guarantees are essential to preventing the arbitrary and retributive exercise of executive power.

👏 Join LDAD in amplifying moments to uphold the Constitution and ensure that nobody is above the rule of law!

09/24/2026

We are very excited to be part of this Conference & grateful to our volunteers in Maryland for organizing.

Check out LDAD's table if you can attend in-person or tune in online at 3:15 pm to hear our Executive Director speak about ways YOU can engage to keep American free & fair!

Scan the QR code below to register for the online discussions.

09/17/2026

Happy Constitution Day! 🎂🎉🪅 Celebrate by playing our *brand new* RIGHTS & WRONGS CONSTITUTION GAME.

The Rights & Wrongs Constitution Game tests your knowledge of the U.S. Constitution. It places YOU at the center of everyday scenarios where *you get to be the judge* of what actions the Constitution protects or prohibits. Find out if you're right by revealing the actual governing principles and Supreme Court precedents.

The game shows that the Constitution is not an abstraction reserved for courtrooms and history books. Rather, it is the Constitution that decides what can happen at your front door, to your neighbors, in classrooms, at your local protest, and inside your voting booth.

Defending American democracy starts with understanding the rights that uphold it—rights enshrined in our Constitution. So today, in honor of our Constitution's birthday, we invite you to build your understanding and that of those around you.

Play the game, test your knowledge, and challenge a friend: https://ldad.org/letters-briefs/rights-and-wrongs

Oh, and post your score in the comments if you dare 😈

09/14/2026

🇺🇸 Join LDAD in taking 2026 as a continuous call to action to protect our democracy and the principles that underpin it. This week, in celebration of , we will focus our call to action on defending the Constitution.

📨 While the invite is open to everyone, we also believe that lawyers have a unique role and obligation when it comes to this defense; a belief summed up in LDAD board member Evan Falchuk's essay, "Lawyers Must Defend the Rule of Law, as the Founders Intended".

📜 The essay reminds us that the Declaration of Independence was largely a legal indictment against a lawless government—and so it's no surprise that many of its signers were lawyers. Far from being a historic relic, Falchuk says "the Declaration provides a model for how lawyers should respond" to the threats we face today.

🔊 While congratulating LDAD and others in the legal sector for , he laments that more lawyers than ever are breaking their oaths & says: "Ensuring that the bedrock principles of our system of government, including good faith, the truth, and the rule of law, are upheld requires constant vigilance."

🔗 Read Evan's full essay, and the others in this collaborative series with The Fulcrum, on LDAD's website. Follow along on social media as we continue to celebrate our nation's 250th, highlighting its founding values and calling on YOU to join us in defending those values today!