How lawyers can protect judicial independence  

American Bar Association

Judges and lawyers should not be punished “for simply doing their job,” Delissa Ridgway, a judge with the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York, said in a recent American Bar Association webinar.

Ridgway outlined how the judiciary is facing “unprecedented challenges,” in “Applying Learnings from the Past to Protect the Rule of Law in the USA,” part of the Rule of Law in America CLE series.

 “The federal judiciary is in the throes of an all-out siege on judicial independence that’s truly unprecedented,” she said. “Its scope, scale and speed have been absolutely breathtaking.”

She added that for the judicial branch to fulfill its role as a check on the other branches of government, judges must be able to do their job without threats to their safety or employment.

Ridgway said judges have been targeted for impeachment based on rulings and that online threats against judges and their families have escalated.

She noted the United States has been designated as the “focus country” for the 2026 International Day of the Endangered Lawyer. 

The day will be observed worldwide on Jan. 26, 2026. Ridgway encouraged lawyers to organize programs and suggested these measures : 

• Read and share ABA statements defending democracy and the rule of law; find out how to assist local judges; mobilize bar associations and other civic organizations; write op-eds or letters to the editor; write to congressional representatives to seek additional funding to help secure judicial safety.

The free webinar for ABA?members is available  at https://learningcenter.americanbar.org.https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanehttps://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2025/09/how-lawyers-can-protect-judicial-independence/ws/aba-news-archives/2025/09/how-lawyers-can-protect-judicial-independence/

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