Constitutional Law
Apr. 9, 2026
California lawyers rally behind firms in challenge to Trump orders
Amicus briefs invoke John Adams and rule-of-law principles as appeal tests limits of presidential power over legal advocacy
American lawyers who take on unpopular causes have a role model in John Adams, the Revolutionary War patriot who in 1770 agreed to defend British soldiers charged with murder after they fired on protesting colonists at what became known as the Boston Massacre.
Despite intense political backlash, Adams called it "one of the best Pieces of Service I ever rendered my Country" because it helped his nascent nation establish the rule of law and the right to a fair trial.
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