Lawyering on the Eve of War: The Role of Law and Lawyers in Ethiopia's Civil War, 2018-2024

What role do lawyers play when a nation stands at the brink of war? This Article examines how Ethiopia's legal profession navigated escalating political instability in the years leading up to the country's devastating civil war (2018-2022). It traces how private attorneys, judges, prosecutors, government legal advisors, human rights advocates, consultants, and law academics engaged with shifting power dynamics, ethical dilemmas, and political tensions, * Associate Professor of Law, University at Buffalo School of Law. This paper has benefited from the generosity of many colleagues and friends through conversations and comments.