Overview of the Focus Choice for the Year 2026

The Coalition for the International Day of the Endangered Lawyer has chosen the U.S. as its focus country for 2026. This is a remarkable change compared to past years when the attention was mostly on countries regarded as authoritarian or with weak rule of law systems. The selection indicates a shift in the global perception of the issue highlighted by the coalition that lawyers and law firms in the U.S. would be facing more incidents in 2025, which were described as 'targeting'.

Reasoning Behind the Decision

The legal coalition mentioned that the U.S. experienced a significant increase in assaults on the legal profession within the last year. Some of the assaults are as follows:

• Executive orders targeting specific law firms.
• Lawyers working on politically sensitive cases are subjected to harassment.

 

• Non-legal tactics and discrimination by authorities are viewed as erosion of professional independence.

All these events led the coalition to call for a spotlight on the situation and to pull international attention.

Report Release and Global Activities

Avocats EuropéensDémocrates, one of the partners in the coalition, announced that a detailed report which reveals these concerns will be made public on the 21st of January, 2026. The day after, on the 22nd of January, a press conference will be held along with a series of other activities in different parts of the world to highlight the dangers encountered by lawyers in the country under focus.

International Opinions and Responses

Margaret Satterthwaite, UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, described the nature of the attacks as not only alarming but also typical of countries where democracy has been reversed. She pointed out that though she had informed U.S. officials about the supposed attempts to undermine lawyers, there was no answer from their side. On the other hand, she got feedback from prior focus states like Belarus and Iran regarding the same letters.

Solidarity From Legal Organizations

The European Criminal Bar Association (ECBA) has suggested the United States as the target country for this year. According to ECBA Chair Vânia Costa Ramos, the act of putting the U.S. under the spotlight is a signal of international solidarity with attorneys who are under pressure in their respective countries. She expressed her concern that it is happening in a country that has always been considered a bastion of law and order, and that such a situation in a state like this one is especially worrying.

Background of the Day of the Endangered Lawyer

The inaugural International Day of the Endangered Lawyer took place on January 24, 2009. It was the brainchild of attorneys Symone Gaasbeek-Wielinga and Hans Gaasbeek. The organization also provides assistance to the families of lawyers who have faced threats or have lost their lives in the line of duty.

Next Steps: Petition and Advocacy

The coalition, together with the report, is going to present a joint public petition for ambassadors, consulates, and the authorities of the United States. The intention is to inform the society about the obstacles that lawyers are facing and to push for government conversation regarding the safeguarding of professional independence.