When Sidley and Austin, one of a large number of law firms offered to pay the expenses of personnel to travel out of Texas to obtain an abortion, the attorney general threatened a criminal prosecution of the firm. That started an effort to gain support in favor of Sidley and Austin by law firms, bar associations and law offices around the country. An attack on one law firm is an attack on all of us. It is time for us to come to the support of our brothers and sisters at Sidley and Austin.
The legal issues will include the right to travel interstate, the fact that no crime has been committed in Texas therefore the attorney general lacks any jurisdiction for a lawsuit, and finally and most importantly, speaking as a former federal prosecutor for five years – the mark of a good prosecutor is judgment.
We should all now do what we can do to motivate our bar associations at every level, law firms throughout the country, and law offices to find the right words to publically call upon the attorney general of Texas to cease his threats against a distinguished law firm that has supported the rule of law for many years.
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