Our legal system is facing an unprecedented threat. For those on the political left, the blame lies squarely with President Trump and his administration.

President Trump has increasingly disregarded judicial authority, notably by defying a recent emergency order from a federal judge. Trump calls for the impeachment of judges who rule against him, prompting a rare rebuke from Chief Justice John Roberts. He regularly undermines judicial rulings, dismissing those he dislikes as decisions by "Obama judges."

Seemingly on a daily basis, Trump leverages executive power to blacklist major law firms, potentially devastating their practices simply because they represent clients or causes he opposes. He has signaled his plans to retaliate against lawyers and firms that bring immigration cases or lawsuits against his administration.

Trump's misuse of the executive power, which has already compelled one of the country's largest defense firms to bend the proverbial knee, marks an unprecedented escalation in modern American politics.

As a center-left lawyer who has spent his career fighting powerful interests on behalf of everyday people, I find the current moment deeply alarming. Ironically, despite my skepticism of Big Law, the first line of defense is going to be these large firms, on whom we now must rely to protect both themselves and, by extension, the legal system as a whole from many of the powerful interests it has historically served.

So far, these firms have largely remained silent, demonstrating the chilling effect government........

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