Stand for the Rule of Law

It’s been four decades since I stood next to Judge Alex Saldomando, then on the San Francisco Superior Court, before a group of friends and colleagues. I repeated this oath and proudly joined the ranks of California lawyers. 

"I solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of an attorney and counselor at law to the best of my knowledge and ability." ​

May 1, 2025 is National Law Day of Action, I will be standing with hundreds of other lawyers at the Federal Courthouse in San Francisco reciting the updated attorney oath, which was amended 11 years ago, with this sentence added, “as an officer of the court, I will strive to conduct myself at all times with dignity, courtesy, and integrity."

When we take the attorney oath, we make a covenant to uphold the rule of law. 

At the US Supreme Court with client, Betty Dukes, center, and her niece. Betty was the named plaintiff in the Dukes v. Walmart case.

As a civil rights lawyer, I spent several decades working to enforce existing laws and advocating for new ones, so that marginalized communities would have the equal protection of the laws and the due process the Constitution guarantees everyone in the United States. I represented people from different ethnic and racial backgrounds, women – white, Black, Latinas, Asians, Natives - members of the LGBTQ community, and immigrants. Never for one second did it cross my mind that I would lie to a court or misrepresent a court’s decision when speaking to the press or addressing a community group.

Today, lawyers entrusted with the highest leadership roles, from Cabinet-level appointees such as Attorney General and the Secretary of State, as well as elected leaders in Congress, are engaged in a full-on legal gaslighting project that distorts what our courts are ordering them to do or stop doing, as they shield corruption and subvert democracy. They are bending the law to serve their ambitions and those of Donald Trump’s cruel and unconstitutional directives. They are engaging in equally bad (and sometimes worse) conduct than Trump acolytes who have ended up disbarred, suspended, or subject to disciplinary actions, such as Rudy Giuliani, Jenna Ellis, John Eastman, and Jeffrey Clark, to name a few.

Judges at every level – District Court, Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court have issued rulings that Executive Orders are violating the Constitution. And they, along with lawyers and people of all backgrounds, are growing increasingly impatient and angry at the obfuscation and unfounded claims and defenses the government presents. 

Earlier this month, US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein rebuked the Trump Administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) to deport alleged migrant gang members without due process. In criticizing the government's actions, he emphasized that individuals were being deported based solely on associations, such as having certain tattoos, without adequate legal proceedings. He underscored the importance of due process, stating:

“This is not the Inquisition, it’s not medieval times. This is the United States of America.” 

To protect our rights and freedoms, lawyers across the country are coming together on Law Day to recite the oath of office for the legal profession. We object to the escalating attacks on the independence of the judiciary, and we recommit our support for the rule of law. 

Big law firms, which have been under direct attack by the Trump Administration, are fighting back (sadly, not all of them). Click here to read this excellent letter from Lawyers Defending Democracy explaining why the Administration's actions must be resisted and defeated.

For more information and to sign up for May First Law Day of Action near you (or online) go to: https://lawdayofaction.org/ Please join attorneys, law students, and judges in opposition to lawlessness.