Law and Liberty Circle

Cercle Droit & Liberté (CDL), known in English as the Law and Liberty Circle, is a French independent association founded in 2014 that brings together legal professionals and students committed to defending public liberties and encouraging critical thinking in law. It describes itself as the leading network of jurists and lawyers engaged in the defence of liberties, with nearly 900 members. Its stated mission is to encourage free debate and critical spirit in law faculties, to build a network of committed lawyers and jurists, to oppose legislative excesses that undermine public liberties, and to act as a spokesperson in the media. The organisation operates through conferences, debates, legal actions and media columns. It has been involved in litigation and advocacy, including a case concerning media pluralism in which the French Conseil d'État enshrined what has been called the "Cercle Droit & Liberté decision". It also organises prestige events with influential figures from the legal, political and media worlds, such as a planned 2026 meeting with US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, and a 2025 event at the Jockey Club launching its 2026-2028 strategy. CDL is led by a bureau whose president is Thibault Mercier, a Paris bar lawyer and business law practitioner, and whose vice-president is René Boustany, also a Paris bar lawyer. The association presents itself as independent and non-partisan, though external descriptions characterise it as a right-wing advocacy group. It is based in Paris and operates primarily in France, addressing French citizens and French public law. Its activities span judicial recourse, advocacy, publications and educational events, positioning it as a civil-society actor in the French legal and public debate landscape.

Cercle Droit & Liberté was founded in 2014 as an independent association in France. It emerged in a context where, according to its own presentation, universities and the legal world were seen as being in crisis, dominated by political correctness that fostered conformism and a ready-made legal mindset. The association set out to counter this by encouraging critical thinking and free debate in law faculties, building a network of committed lawyers and jurists, opposing legislative excesses that undermine public liberties, and acting as a spokesperson in the media. From its early years, CDL developed a programme of conferences, debates, legal actions and media columns. It grew into what it describes as the leading network of jurists and lawyers engaged in the defence of liberties, reaching nearly 900 members. Its activities have included hosting authors and legal scholars, such as a November 2025 event with Pierre-Louis Boyer presenting his book on the history of lawyers, and organising prestige meetings with influential figures from the legal, political and media worlds. A significant development came in December 2025, when the French Conseil d'État enshrined what has been called the "Cercle Droit & Liberté decision" concerning pluralism in the media. This marked a major step for the association's litigation and advocacy work. In the same period, on 26 November 2025, CDL launched its 2026-2028 strategy at the Jockey Club, signalling a new phase of organisational planning. For 2026, it announced an exceptional meeting with US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The association is led by a bureau. Thibault Mercier serves as president; he is a lawyer at the Paris bar and a partner in a business law firm, holds a master's in international business law from Université Paris V Descartes, was a 2015 Tocqueville Bourse laureate, teaches rhetoric and company law, and contributes to the annual "Précis de culture juridique". René Boustany serves as vice-president; he is also a Paris bar lawyer, a graduate of Université de Paris II Panthéon-Assas where he was student vice-president, holds a master's from HEC Paris, and was a 2012 Tocqueville Bourse laureate. Under this leadership, CDL continues to position itself as an independent, non-partisan actor in French legal and public debate, though external sources characterise it as a right-wing advocacy group.

• 2026

  Announced exceptional meeting with US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito.

• 2025

  Hosted Pierre-Louis Boyer for a presentation of his book on the history of lawyers.

• 2025

  Launched its 2026-2028 strategy at the Jockey Club.

• 2025

  Conseil d'État enshrined the 'Cercle Droit & Liberté decision' on media pluralism.

• 2014

  Cercle Droit & Liberté founded as an independent association in France.

Independent, non-partisan network of legal professionals defending public liberties and promoting critical legal thinking.

• Membership network

  Network of jurists, lawyers, professors, magistrates and students.

• Conferences and debates

  Events with legal, political and media figures.

• Legal actions

  Contentious recourses and advocacy shaping law and liberties.

• Media tribunes

  Columns and op-eds in the media.

• 2026-2028 strategy
• Media pluralism litigation

1. 1Cercle Droit & Liberté | Le premier réseau de juristes engagés pour les libertéscercledroitetliberte.fr
2. 2A propos du CDL | Cercle Droit & Libertécercledroitetliberte.fr
3. 3Histoire des avocats - Le Cercle Droit et Liberté recevait le 17 novembrecercledroitetliberte.fr
4. 4Law and Liberty Circle - Wikidatawikidata.org