Endangered Lawyers? Attorney Independence in the Department of Justice

The "Endangered Lawyers? Attorney Independence in the Department of Justice" event, organized by the New York City Bar Association, took place on January 20, 2026, at the New York City Bar headquarters in New York City. This program was presented in recognition of the 2026 International Day of the Endangered Lawyer, focusing on the United States.

The event addressed the unprecedented departure of career Department of Justice (DOJ) attorneys over the past year, exploring the challenges to attorney independence within the DOJ. Discussions centered on the difficulties faced by remaining DOJ lawyers in balancing professional obligations with directives from department leadership.

The program featured a panel of distinguished speakers, including Mary L. Dohrmann, Senior Counsel at Washington Litigation Group and former federal prosecutor; Bruce Green, Louis Stein Chair of Law and Director of the Stein Center at Fordham Law School; Troy (LT) Edwards, former Deputy Chief of National Security at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia; Sonia Mittal, former Senior Counsel to the Capitol Siege Section at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Clinical Lecturer in Law at Yale Law School; and Joseph Tirrell, former Director of the DOJ Departmental Ethics Office. The discussion was moderated by Emily Bazelon, Senior Research Scholar in Law at Yale Law School and staff writer at The New York Times Magazine.

This event was particularly relevant for legal professionals concerned with maintaining ethical standards and independence within governmental legal departments. Attendees gained insights into the current state of attorney independence in the DOJ and the broader implications for the legal profession.