LACBA President Jeffrey Margulies is emphasizing the vital responsibility of legal professionals to uphold the rule of law. Read his statement, which was originally delivered on March 19 at the Litigation Section’s annual Bench Meets the Bar Luncheon.

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We often say we are living through unprecedented times. And while that phrase may seem cliché, the truth remains: our moment is extraordinary. As lawyers and judges, we must recognize the significance of this moment—and we must meet it. To understand the present, allow me to revisit a moment in our history that sheds light on today’s challenges.

Nearly 53 years ago, my firm’s then–managing partner, Leon Jaworski, was appointed the Watergate Special Prosecutor. You know the history, including the legal battle with President Nixon over the subpoena for the secret White House tapes. That fight culminated in the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in United States v. Nixon, ordering that the tapes be turned over to the Special Prosecutor despite the president’s assertion of executive privilege.

What happened next is worth pausing over.

After the ruling, Nixon’s counsel, James St. Clair, read the president’s statement:

“While I am, of course, disappointed in the result, I respect and accept the Court’s decision, and I have instructed Mr. St. Clair to take whatever measures are necessary to comply with that decision in all respects.”

St. Clair then added:

“As we all know, the President has always been a firm believer in the rule of law, and he intends his decision to comply fully with the Court’s ruling as an action in furtherance of that belief.”

Think about that. A moment of national crisis. And the response was  acknowledgment and compliance.

Fast forward to the past 14 months, where we have seen a landscape very different from the days of Watergate:

• Prosecutors bringing cases against the president or others have themselves faced investigation and prosecution.
• Law firms advocating vigorously for their clients have received executive orders seeking to restrict their access to government work, penalizing clients for the simple act of hiring a lawyer.
• And judges—including Supreme Court justices, and some here in this very room—have endured personal attacks, accusations of misconduct, and even threats of impeachment or harm for doing nothing more than their constitutional duty.

When I became LACBA President last June, I made two commitments:

• First, that LACBA would continue to stand up for the courts—for your role as a constitutional check and balance.
• Second, that LACBA would continue to stand up for lawyers—for our right and responsibility to represent clients without fear or favor.

We have kept those promises.

Recently, LACBA issued a statement expressing our disapproval over the president’s response to the Supreme Court’s ruling on tariffs, and we condemned all personal attacks on members of the judiciary. We said:

“We strongly urge all public officials to lead by example by following all judicial rulings and challenging them only through lawful means and with dignity and respect for our judiciary.”

Judges make difficult decisions every day—decisions that inevitably leave one side disappointed, and sometimes deeply so. And judges, being human, will not always get every decision perfectly right. But the legitimacy of our legal system does not depend on perfection—it depends on trust. Trust that rulings are made honestly, impartially, and without fear of retaliation. Judicial independence exists not to shield judges; it exists to safeguard the public’s confidence that disputes will be resolved through law, not through pressure, passion or power.

And as Chief Justice John Roberts reminded us just this Tuesday: Criticizing judicial decisions is fair game, but personally directed hostility is dangerous. And, in his words, “it’s got to stop.”

That message is not political. It is constitutional. It is institutional.It is essential.

 Richard Nixon was far from a saint, but he understood the importance of publicly respecting the rule of law. If we fail to honor that principle today we risk drifting toward a future marked by chaos and ungovernability. We cannot—we must not—allow that future to take hold.

Justice Anthony Kennedy captured this truth simply: “The law makes promises. The rule of law keeps them.”

As we look ahead, I return to Leon Jaworski. Jaworski embodied a quiet, unwavering professionalism. He believed that lawyers serve institutions, not individuals, and that our ultimate loyalty is to the integrity of the legal system itself. He understood that the rule of law depends on courage. Sometimes loud courage. More often, what he called quiet courage. The courage of lawyers who take hard cases.
And the courage of judges who decide them, without regard to personal consequence.

His example is a reminder: Institutions endure because people of integrity choose to support them, day after day, case after case.

Our hope—and our responsibility—is to help restore a nation where the law truly keeps its promises. A nation in which a Leon Jaworski can take on consequential cases without fear. And where judges can decide those cases with independence, dignity, and safety.

Thank you for your time, your service, and your continued dedication to the rule of law.