Dean Hackney Joins Law School Deans Nationwide in Affirming the Role of Lawyers in Defending Democracy
03.26.25 — Today, Dean James Hackney joined 79 law school deans in signing a letter in support of the role of lawyers in our democracy.“Lawyers play a pivotal role in upholding our constitutional system of check and balances. Together with deans across the country, I join in urging our government to abide by and uphold the rule of law,” said Hackney.
Full text of letter:
“As deans of law schools, we have a special responsibility for the legal profession. Recently, the federal government has imposed significant sanctions on the law firms of Perkins Coie, Covington & Burling, Paul Weiss, and Jenner & Block seemingly because of the clients they and their lawyers represented and litigation in which their lawyers participated.
We write to reaffirm basic principles: The government should not punish lawyers and law firms for the clients they represent, absent specific findings that such representation was illegal or unethical. Punishing lawyers for their representation and advocacy violates the First Amendment and undermines the Sixth Amendment.
We thus speak as legal educators, responsible for training the next generation of lawyers, in condemning any government efforts to punish lawyers or their firms based on the identity of their clients or for their zealous lawful and ethical advocacy.”
This is Hackney’s second joint letter in defense of democracy. On June 24, 2024, he joined with more than 100 deans of US law schools to sign a letter regarding the training necessary for the next generation of lawyers to sustain our constitutional democracy and the rule of law.
The nation’s leader in experiential legal education since 1968, Northeastern University School of Law offers the longest-running, most extensive experience-based legal education program in the country. Northeastern guarantees its students unparalleled practical legal work experiences through its signature Cooperative Legal Education Program. More than 1,100 employers in a wide range of legal, government, nonprofit and business organizations participate in the program. With a focus on social justice and innovation, Northeastern University School of Law blends theory and practice, providing students with a unique set of skills and experiences to successfully practice law.
For more information, contact d.feldman@northeastern.edu.