NYCLA Officers and Task Force Issue Statement on Unprecedented Threats to the Rule of Law Under the United States Constitution

The New York County Lawyers Association (NYCLA) Officers today issued the following statement:

The senior officers and the Rule of Law Task Force of the New York County Lawyers Association strongly condemn the recent threats, ad hominem attacks, and calls for impeachment directed at federal judges, such as Judge James E. Boasberg, who have ruled against the administration and may issue more rulings about the validity of the President’s actions.  These ad hominem attacks and threats of impeachment are an affront to the American people and our constitutional democracy.

As Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has aptly noted, “For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.”

As attorneys, we have sworn an oath to support the United States Constitution, which provides for three coequal branches of government. We are dedicated to upholding the independence of the judicial branch and the rule of law—core principles that are essential to the proper functioning of our constitutional democracy.

Our constitutional system ensures that the judicial branch of government operates with fairness, stability, and predictability, providing all persons with equal access to justice under established legal principles.

A strong and independent judiciary is fundamental to this framework.  Such a judiciary should safeguard our constitutional rights, resolve disputes impartially, and apply the law free from extraneous influences.  Judges must be able to decide cases based on the law and facts, without regard to external pressures.  Efforts to undermine judicial independence—whether through threats to judges, ad hominem attacks, or calls for impeachment based on their judicial rulings—endanger the proper functioning of our justice system and damage our entire constitutional system by permitting a person to be above the law.

We affirm NYCLA’s commitment to judicial independence and the fair and impartial administration of justice by the courts.  We encourage respect for the judicial process and the roles of judges and lawyers in our legal system.  We condemn efforts by anyone—including the President—to intimidate, insult, threaten, or vilify any judge based on disagreements with the judge’s rulings.

About the New York County Lawyers Association
The New York County Lawyers Association (nycla.org) was founded in 1908 as one of the first major bar associations in the country that admitted members without regard to race, ethnicity, religion or gender, and has a long history of supporting the rights of LGBTQ+ people. Since its inception, NYCLA has pioneered some of the most far-reaching and tangible reforms in American jurisprudence. For more information on NYCLA please visit nycla.org.

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