the Zealous

In previous posts, the Zealous has highlighted the International Day of the Endangered Lawyer when the focus was on Iran, where human rights attorneys like Amirsalar Davoudi faced thirty years in prison and 111 lashes for the crime of defending political prisoners. Afghanistan was another, where the Taliban seized the bar association’s databases, containing home addresses, family members, and case histories, and used them to hunt down lawyers who had represented women, human rights activists, or anyone associated with international organizations. Seven lawyers were killed. One hundred forty-six were arrested or investigated. Women were banned from the profession entirely.

This year, the Coalition for the International Day of the Endangered Lawyer announced its focus country for 2026. It’s the United States.

Let that land for a moment.

There's a moment early in Marvel's She-Hulk: Attorney at Law when Jennifer Walters, having just acquired the ability to transform into a seven-foot-tall green superhuman, is informed by her cousin, Bruce Banner (the OG Hulk) that she's now obligated to become a superhero. Her response: "I did not go to law school and rack up six figures in student loans to become a vigilante."

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