Skadden, the latest white-shoe law firm to cut a "deal" with President Donald Trump to avoid being locked out of security clearances and federal contracts, has already generated blowback from their decision, with one attorney at the firm publicly announcing her resignation and trashing the firm for what she saw as its surrender.
Trump has sought to make such deals with other law firms, as part of an attack on the legal system in general, particularly targeting firms associated with cases against him. The deal with Skadden, which came under Trump's wrath for representing clients who fought Trump's 2020 election conspiracy theories, requires them to commit $100 million to pro bono causes of Trump's own choosing, as well as commit against diversity hiring.
Attorney Brenna Trout Frey called out the firm for "capitulating" to Trump in a statement flagged by Lawfare's Anna Bower on Friday.
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“Today the executive partner of my former firm sent us all an 'update' that attempted to convince some of the best minds in the legal profession that he did us a solid by capitulating to the Trump administration's demands for fealty and protection money," wrote Frey. "Fellow Skadden attorneys: If you agree with Jeremy London's position that the firm should not engage in 'illegal DEI discrimination,' should devote prestigious Skadden Fellows to the Trump administration's pet projects, and should help 'politically disenfranchised groups who have not historically received legal representation from major national law firms,' (taking into account the robust pro bono work that major national law firms already do), then by all means continue working there."
However, she continued, 'if that email struck you as a craven attempt to sacrifice the rule of law for self-preservation, I hope you do some soul-searching over the weekend and join me in sending a message that this is unacceptable (in whatever way you can)."
"The rule of law matters, Frey concluded. "As an attorney, if my employer cannot stand up for the rule of law, then I cannot ethically continue to work for them.”
Not all big law firms targeted by Trump have capitulated. WilmerHale, a firm with ties to former Trump-Russian interference special counsel Robert Mueller, said it would fight back after Trump cut them off from the federal government in an executive order, calling the order "unlawful" and vowing to take the president to court.