Dean Michael T. Cahill Joins Law Deans Around Country in Statement on 2020 Election and Events at the Capitol

On Jan. 12, 2021, in a rare joint statement, 157 law school deans from schools across the country, including Dean Michael T. Cahill, published a statement addressing the 2020 election and the events that took place in the United States Capitol last week.

“The violent attack on the Capitol was an assault on our democracy and the rule of law,” reads the statement. “The effort to disrupt the certification of a free and fair election was a betrayal of the core values that undergird our Constitution. Lives were lost, the seat of our democracy was desecrated, and our country was shamed.”

The joint statement reflects upon the roles that lawyers played in recent events and affirms the deans’ commitment to working together to repair the damage to democratic institutions and rebuild faith in the rule of law.

“Many lawyers and judges worked honestly and in good faith, often in the face of considerable political pressure, to ensure the 2020 election was free and fair. However, we recognize with dismay and sorrow that some lawyers challenged the outcome of the election with claims that they did not support with facts or evidence. This betrayed the values of our profession.”

The deans conclude with a call to action to “restore faith in the rule of law and the ideals of the legal profession. We have enormous faith in the law’s enduring values and in our students, who will soon lead this profession. We call upon all members of the legal profession to join us in the vital work ahead.”

Read the full statement and list of signatories

Read the American Constitution Society’s statement of law professors

Read Dean Cahill’s message to the Brooklyn Law School community