Alliance for American Rule of Law

White background with a small American flag at left and a circular, light blue and red "VOTE" sticker at right

On Constitution Day, We Should Honor the Voters

By Michael Curry and Barbara A. Radnofsky

On Constitution Day (September 17), we honor the document that establishes our democracy and the voters who sustain it. This day is especially meaningful in this 250th anniversary year of the 1776 Declaration of Independence. The Declaration’s authors envisioned a government deriving its powers from “the consent of the governed” and dedicated to securing our “unalienable rights” to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” To that end, the Constitution, signed in 1787 and strengthened by the Bill of Rights ratified in 1791, established a government that included protection for fundamental rights and freedoms. But those protections endure not on paper alone. They depend on our collective commitment through active participation in our democracy.

A brass set of scales sits atop a wooden base, with the left scale slightly lower than the right scale

Ending the Imperial Presidency (Part 2): Two Reforms to Improve Public Trust in the Administration of Justice

By Alliance Member Alain Norman, MSc JD

The Rule of Law in the United States is now endangered by an American presidency that, over time, has developed “imperial” powers and trappings. This essay highlights a further serious problem that undermines American Rule of Law: The president’s ability to influence or politicize the administration of justice. This article argues that we must bolster public confidence in the administration of justice by changing the appointment process of Department of Justice leadership and by creating a Federal Ombudsperson’s Office. Both reforms would draw inspiration from other, modern democratic systems.

Curled barbed wire tops a chain link fence, against a grey-blue sky

Disarming the “Loaded Weapon” of Unchecked Executive Power: A Former Guántanamo Lawyer’s Call for Accountability

By Alliance Member Jana Ramsey

I was alarmed, but not surprised, to see New York Times reporting that White House advisor Stephen Miller has proposed suspending the right of habeas corpus for undocumented immigrants and invoking the Insurrection Act to deploy the military against civilians inside the U.S. Despite initial legal pushback within the White House, the Times noted that these ideas remain a “loaded weapon in a West Wing eager to test the limits of presidential power.” As a former lawyer for Guantánamo detainees, the arguments for radical expansion of presidential power sound very familiar—and must be countered.

Colorful fireworks explode across a dark sky, accompanied by a waving American flag below

Our 5 Favorite Reflections on America’s 250th

As Americans gathered together over the July 4th holiday weekend, many of us took time to reflect on where America finds itself in its 250th year. What’s the true state of our constitutional republic? Can we recover from the Rule of Law challenges we’ve seen grow exponentially over recent years? What do we want America to be, and how do we get there?

AAROL has collected five of our favorite reflections on the 250th anniversary of America’s Declaration of Independence, speaking to the unique perspectives of our global Alliance.

An off-white, marble statue of Julius Caesar looks out of frame to the left, on a dark gray background

Constitutional Reforms to Curb Our Imperial Presidency and Protect the Rule of Law

By Alliance Member Alain Norman

What is to be done to curb America’s growing “imperial presidency”–a presidency in which the chief executive operates, at least de facto, with no significant checks or balances from the other two branches of government? Alliance Member Alain Norman provides an assessment of the problem grounded in constitutional analysis, and proposes a constitutional amendment to curtail one of the gravest examples of executive overreach: the ability to launch wars without consent of the American people.

From among a crowd, a hand raises a sign with "Fight Today for a Better Tomorrow" written on it

A Call to Action on America’s 250th

By Alliance Member Jay Blitzman

The past year has shaken our faith in institutions, and perhaps, in each other. If not already eviscerated, the Rule of Law is under attack. In this atmosphere of constant chaos, we have become numbed by the events of each day and the scope of unprecedented executive action. Yet, even in the face of growing autocracy and oligarchy, the Rule of Law can prevail.

There is nothing inevitable about justice prevailing. Justice is only a possibility, contingent on what we do next. If we settle for comfort, symbolic gestures, or the illusion that progress will unfold on its own, we will find ourselves deeper in despair. But if we pair our moral outrage with material action, honest reflection, and collective struggle, then even now, in the midst of fear and uncertainty, we can begin to build something more durable than optimism.

A group gathers in front of the Supreme Court of the United States, holding signs with Law Day of Action slogans

Making the Most of Law Day of Action 2026

On May 1, AAROL joined lawyers, judges, and Rule of Law advocates across the country to celebrate National Law Day of Action. Across 65 cities and 25 states, more than 3,000 concerned citizens came together to reaffirm their oaths to the Constitution and the shared legal values that make our democracy strong.

To carry this momentum forward, we reflected on the Civic Oath administered by Superior Court Judge Herbert Dixon (Ret.) at the Law Day of Action Flagship Event on the steps of the United States Supreme Court. Read on for AAROL’s full Law Day of Action Recap, including event photos and practical ways Alliance Members can put Law Day values into action.

A black mural stating "defend truth" in white letters sits on a while building wall, over a city sidewalk

When Belief Becomes Law: The Rise of Executive Rule and the Vanishing of Facts

By Alliance Member Jay Blitzman

During his successful defense of the British soldiers accused of killing Americans in the Boston Massacre of 1770, John Adams, the nation’s second president, famously observed that “facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations or the dictates of passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”

Times have changed. When President Trump fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, saying that the jobs numbers compiled by the agency’s nonpartisan analysts and experts “were RIGGED” some pundits observed that you can fire the umpire, but you can’t change the score.

Unless you can.