Overview

• Justice Sonia Sotomayor urged lawyers to stand up for judicial independence and the rule of law during an American Bar Association event in Washington, D.C.
• She highlighted the legal profession's responsibility to advocate for those unable to defend themselves and to take on challenging cases, even in the face of likely defeat.
• Sotomayor's remarks come as the Trump administration intensifies its use of executive orders targeting law firms and the ABA, while criticizing judges who oppose its agenda.
• Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson have also recently spoken out against threats to judicial independence and efforts to intimidate the judiciary.
• The Supreme Court is handling a growing number of emergency appeals from the Trump administration, reflecting escalating tensions between the executive branch and the judiciary.