Warning of a dangerous precedent, 79 law school deans have denounced recent federal sanctions targeting several high-profile law firms, arguing that punishing attorneys for the clients they represent erodes the foundations of the American legal system.
In a joint letter issued on March 26, law school leaders, including William M. Treanor, executive vice president of Georgetown University and dean of Georgetown Law, reaffirmed their commitment to core legal principles: the right to counsel, the independence of the legal profession and the constitutional protections that guarantee both.
“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,” Treanor said. “Punishing lawyers for their representation and advocacy violates the First Amendment and undermines the Sixth Amendment.”
