"Counterfactuals are impossible to prove, but it doesn't require a giant speculative leap to conclude that, had major U.S. law firms not so quickly surrendered to Trump, this spring, he would have been denied early momentum for his lawlessness. Perhaps a united opposition might have even provided the opposite momentum, toward a defense of the rule of law."
"But even if they weren't America's last clear chance to avoid fascism, the firms can't escape blame for the sorry state of the rule of law. You'll recall, early in his second term, Donald Trump launched a war on Biglaw through unconstitutional Executive Orders designed to break major law firms unless they bent the knee. In the face of financial harm, nine major firms sought Trump's seal of approval,"
Major U.S. law firms capitulated to presidential pressure, entering deals with the administration that traded pro bono legal work for protection from retribution. Those deals supplied millions in free legal services to conservative clients and causes in exchange for the administration's approval. Counterfactuals are impossible to prove, but the early cooperation by prominent firms gave the president momentum that undermined the rule of law. Political actors, including elected Republican officials and sympathetic federal judges, also failed to check the slide toward authoritarianism. The administration used unconstitutional executive orders to coerce law firms. Paul, Weiss initiated the wave by publicly agreeing to the terms.
Read at Above the Law
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