SKEET THREAD: What happened yesterday holds a powerful lesson. We must give it greater attention. LAWYERS HAVE A CHOICE. To obey the rules of our profession or to degrade our oath by putting politics above our ethical obligations. In early 2021 I wrote this piece. www.nytimes.com/2021/02/12/o... - ThreadSky

sifill.bsky.social • 8 days ago

SKEET THREAD: What happened yesterday holds a powerful lesson. We must give it greater attention.

LAWYERS HAVE A CHOICE. To obey the rules of our profession or to degrade our oath by putting politics above our ethical obligations. In early 2021 I wrote this piece. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/12/opinion/politics/trump-lawyers.html?unlocked_article_code=1.w04.jbkI.vYopEbbjKXv2&smid=url-share

Comments

shigeyo.bsky.social•7 days ago

🧵 unrolled.

'... LAWYERS HAVE A CHOICE. To obey the rules of our profession or to degrade our oath by putting politics above our ethical obligations. In early 2021 I wrote this piece' - Sherrilyn Ifill 2/14/25
https://skyview.social/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbsky.app%2Fprofile%2Fsifill.bsky.social%2Fpost%2F3li5kwp4aak2h&viewtype=unroll

shawshankexemption.bsky.social•8 days ago

Very powerful lesson.

jamescaseyjd.bsky.social•7 days ago

Same problem with Watergate

samaz1ng.bsky.social•8 days ago

Excellent article, thank you.

bombswarmearth.bsky.social•8 days ago

" During their confirmation hearings, over two dozen Trump administration nominees to the federal bench refused to say that the landmark school desegregation case, Brown v. Board of Education, was correctly decided — despite universal acceptance that Brown is fundamental to the rule of law itself.
"

bombswarmearth.bsky.social•8 days ago

Earth is burning

Boycott oil or
Burn oil for Trump
to turn earth into hell

astill73.bsky.social•8 days ago

📌

sifill.bsky.social•8 days ago

Since then I have unrelentingly called for my profession to take a hard look at our profession - to reinforce the gravity of the oath we take as lawyers and to inculcate and refresh our obligation to the rule of law and thus to democracy.The @americanbar.org has taken concrete steps. More is needed.

rozinwonderland.bsky.social•8 days ago

You’re the best. Thank you.

sifill.bsky.social•8 days ago

But what Danielle Sassoon, the Acting U.S. Atty for the Southern District of NY with an unassailable conservative pedigree, joined by other other senior federal prosecutors in NY & DC, did yesterday is more significant than any CLE or bar statement could do. They showed that lawyers can & must…

sifill.bsky.social•8 days ago

put their our obligations & professional responsibilities ahead of political loyalty. That is why our professions are critical parts of our democratic infrastructure. The standards of a profession constrain us from engaging in the excesses we may be asked to indulge by political actors & clients.

jailhouse-dog.bsky.social•8 days ago

Nice see responsible lawyers holding the line. Magaturds may fulminate, but abiding by professional ethics is one of the cornerstones of viable democracy.

sandy406.bsky.social•8 days ago

The inward look into your soul is not taught; it is lived.

sifill.bsky.social•8 days ago

Today we should remember that no DOJ lawyer resigned when Bill Barr hijacked & distorted the Mueller report, presenting its conclusions as an exoneration of Trump. That Rod Rosenstein submitted a memo advancing the narrative that Comey was fired b/c of how he handled Clinton’s email investigation.

michelebella77.bsky.social•8 days ago

Such an important highlight on how politically corrupt attorneys enabled the egregious behavior of Trump and MAGA.

sifill.bsky.social•8 days ago

That an array of lawyers filed complaints and briefs based on allegations of widespread voter fraud that the Attorney General (ironically Bill Barr) had solidly refuted and continued doing so, encouraging Trump supporters to believe that they needed to “stop the steal.”

sifill.bsky.social•8 days ago

That lawyers stood up in court and supported family separation of children “at any age” as directed by AG Jeff Sessions and Deputy Rod Rosenstein. There were no mass resignations of lawyers refusing to argue for these policies.Instead many argued zealously that immigrant detainees did not need soap.

kimoco.bsky.social•8 days ago

Sadly, people like this in the Republican party are few and far between.

deblnelson.bsky.social•8 days ago

Can these lawyers carrying out illegal orders be disbarred? The ABA could get much more active here.

jeshakeoma.bsky.social•8 days ago

The ABA doesn't admit lawyers to the bar, individual states do. It's up to each jurisdiction/state to determine whether a lawyer's actions violate their standards of ethics and professional responsibility.

deblnelson.bsky.social•8 days ago

Ok so we call our state AGs?

kathiemcmcclure.bsky.social•8 days ago

Well stated. Thank you. Seeing so many lawyers put loyalty to Trump over their oath to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law had caused many other lawyers like myself much angst.

eagleonefs.bsky.social•8 days ago

I have a lot of respect for lawyers that protects the Constitution and upholds the rule of law. Never jeopardize your career for wrongdoing. It’s not worth it. Too many years of schooling.

vote4rights.bsky.social•8 days ago

Thank you! Time for those politicians who are also attorneys to have their state Bar licenses revoked since they have violated their Constitutional oaths (time & time again)!

lancetungsten.bsky.social•8 days ago

Ethics CLE with the sound turned off isn’t cutting the mustard.

replicannot.bsky.social•8 days ago

democracymichelle.bsky.social•8 days ago

I hope the ABA doesn’t continue to be all talk.

ianxz.bsky.social•8 days ago

Police and military will have the same choice.

I'd add ICE, but looks like that ship has sailed

islandofreil.bsky.social•8 days ago

Love the one person in the comments calling this "cancellation," with bonus bullshit about "frivolous lawsuits"

oothoon.bsky.social•8 days ago

I'd encourage all professionals to honor the ethics & oaths of their professions. (Tim Snyder makes this point in On Tyranny.)

lilhistorian.bsky.social•8 days ago

Wrote this four years ago.

shepherdone.bsky.social•8 days ago

You can tell exactly the same story about American journalism, it's a story about the Iron Law of Oligarchy.

dberl.bsky.social•8 days ago

Today’s heroes… NY prosecutors. Godspeed to them. https://static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics/documenttools/1ae30693bf1fa571/6139df80-full.pdf

macwoofin.bsky.social•8 days ago

ya, NYT ans WAPO as well. Right now we need people with backbones and integrity to step up.

polerin.bsky.social•8 days ago

Nyt and wapo are part of the problem and have been for years

checksandbals.bsky.social•7 days ago

#TreasonClips Confessions
https://bsky.app/profile/checksandbals.bsky.social/post/3lfwyfngw4s2x

carolnorris.bsky.social•8 days ago

Thank you for the gift article. Important piece.

lgmudder.bsky.social•8 days ago

Shakespeare was right. . .

tyrone34.bsky.social•7 days ago

Of course this happened. When u have the well funded federalist society (whites only) paying and vetting right wing judges; the “rule of law” is a fallacy. And, the heritage foundation (whites only) writing racist laws and policies that the judges are hired to protect. The US is corrupted!!!

ecppdx.bsky.social•8 days ago

Honestly the more I see lawyers defend their profession (tangential to this article), the less respect I have for them and their profession. Lawyers don't have to be scummy. They don't have to take evil clients. These are choices.

etanhg.bsky.social•8 days ago

https://bsky.app/profile/etanhg.bsky.social/post/3li4pcyg3f22p

mcsweeney.bsky.social•8 days ago

Six prosecutors did the right thing yesterday and it was life-affirming. It shouldn't be the exception to the norm. Yesterday gave me hope.

breathefree.bsky.social•8 days ago

Everyone of the Republican MOC who are also licensed attorneys, should be before a state bar. What they are currently doing is at least as bad as what former Senator Bob Menendez was convicted of doing.

breathefree.bsky.social•8 days ago

The same thing could be said about doctors who do not treat girls/women until they become septic. Doctors should go on strike until politicians stop telling them to let girls/women die because of political ideology.

shankspeare.bsky.social•8 days ago

Did you see the lawsuit the MO AG just filed against Starbucks for having too many women and POC working there?

ocg3.bsky.social•8 days ago

Great article!

silverado17.bsky.social•8 days ago

They went through all that to throw their career away.

starfinder.bsky.social•8 days ago

A career doesn't hinge on a single appointment or position.

Sometimes it's much more demonstrably authentic and courageous to say no...and step away.

starfinder.bsky.social•8 days ago

Case in point:

silverado17.bsky.social•8 days ago

Agree

mlm1960.bsky.social•8 days ago

The SDNY attorneys r the EXCEPTION ¬ the RULE;Outliers in professions that take solemn oaths to follow the rule of law, protect & serve;first do no harm;uplift the downtrodden & educate the child. NEVER place TRUST in these peeps to PROTECT bc they're often COMPLICIT Accomplices to our demise.