“The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.”

This line, from Act 4, Scene 2 of Henry VI, is often quoted, usually as an expression of contempt for the profession, an exhortation or a suggested solution. In reality, the context of the quote in Shakespeare’s work, is to remind us that lawyers uphold the law and are the first line of defense against chaos and subversion.

As I pick my way through the minefield of my subscriptions, trying to keep abreast of developments without sinking like a stone from the weight of them, over and over again I come across lawyers who are leading the charge against fascism, some of them risking the inevitable puffed up threats from the demented President, ginned up charges and a toady Supreme Court.

So here’s my shoutout to the folks doing some pretty heavy lifting, putting themselves out there as alternatives to an enormously disappointing journalism establishment, and bringing on-scene video, interviews and opinions you will never see on traditional channels.

First of all, The Meidas Touch Network which you can find on YouTube, on Substack, on their own website, both in the US and in Canada. According to Wikipedia, the independent media company was formed by three brothers from Long Island and bills itself as doing pro-democracy journalism. One of the brothers is an attorney who acted for former NFL player Colin Kaepernick.

Meidas says it now has more viewers that Fox News, something I hope and pray is true, and continues to be true. Every couple days I see video from events of which there wasn’t a whisper in any other legacy media outlet.

Legal AF is an adjunct to the Meidas network, run by Attorney Michael Pocock, who seems to know everyone everywhere. He is also a co-founder of the network and can be found on YouTube, Podcasts, and, of course, Substack.

Adam Klasfeld, of All Rise News, isn’t a lawyer, but has been a legal journalist for years. He describes himself:

I’ve had a 360-degree view of the judiciary, covering state, federal and military courts internationally. Journalism allowed me to work with my heroes and appear on major print, digital, radio and TV outlets in the U.S. and globally, across the political spectrum. I strongly believe in the power of dispassionate reporting to defeat polarization by laying out facts, without commentary, from a detached distance.

His co-founder, Tim Mak, is a long-time foreign correspondent who sees that traditional “both sides” coverage isn’t up to the wave of authoritarianism washing over the United States.

Mitch Jackson is a trial lawyer who decided the stakes were simply too high to continue living life as normal.

The feedback I’ve received makes it clear this work matters. People are responding, not just with public comments but through private messages that share their fears, their frustration, and their determination to push back. Some tell me they had all but given up on engaging in political conversation, and that the clarity and honesty of these pieces have pulled them back in.

Business leaders are stepping forward too, and that matters more than many realize. Our national stability is tied directly to economic strength, and when those who drive the economy start speaking out, it sends a signal that the stakes are not abstract, they affect jobs, markets, and the financial future of every household.

That is why I will keep writing, keep digging, and keep holding the line on accountability. The only alternative is silence, and silence is surrender. Once we stop speaking out, we hand the field over to those who thrive in the absence of scrutiny. That will not happen on my watch.

Ryan Powers was working for a huge law firm, Davis Polk & Wardwell, and his star was rising. Until he started writing editorials on Substack, criticizing Trump. Coincidentally(!) DP & W represent Trump media. What a shocker that Powers was fired, escorted from the building.

And yet, many others in the profession are still bending a knee, kowtowing and grovelling in unseemly ways, and much to the disgust of their clients and colleagues. That behaviour must be called out and the ones taking principled stands brought to light.

Lawyer Melissa Youngman pointed out, in her March post, that 179 members of Congress are lawyers who have mostly turned their backs on the law and the constitution.

In every invasion, fascist takeover, hostile act, there are collaborators, there are the silent majority, and there are the handful of those who will not shut up, who will not be cowed, and who we must support. As Melissa wrote at the close of her comments about the lawyers in Congress, FFS!

Ben Meiselas Legal AF All Rise News Ryan W. Powers Mitch Jackson Melissa Youngman

And here’s Blossom Dearie with a love song to her attorney, Bernie.

Until next time, keep your powder dry.

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