Anyone who cares about this issue should read about, respect and honor Rachel Cohen the embodiment of the Fearless Girl (which, coincidentally, also "needed" to be removed): https://democracychronicles.org/fearless-girl-statue/
Rachel Cohen, a 2022 graduate of Harvard Law School and former third-year associate at Skadden Arps, is awesome. She certainly foresaw how Skadden (and others in the legal community) would react, and she made an intelligent, courageous stand on principle that led by example and cost her quite a lot. The legal profession should do what it can to support her stand, even if they dare to do so only from behind the scenes.
As David Lat of Original Jurisdiction and Judicial Notice put it, Ms. Cohen led the profession in integrity and courage:
putting together an open letter from Biglaw associates, which denounced the Trump administration’s “all-out attack aimed at dismantling rule-of-law norms.” As of last weekend’s Judicial Notice, the letter had 300 signatures from Biglaw associates; today, the number exceeds 1,350. She also penned an opinion piece for Law360, Firms Must Speak Up After Trump Orders: An Associate’s View, claiming that Trump’s attack on Biglaw has given risen to “the most urgent moment for the legal industry in our lifetimes. How we answer it will haunt us or be a point of pride. Let it be the latter.”
After news of the Paul Weiss deal broke, Cohen kicked it up a notch, in a firmwide email she sent to everyone at Skadden:
Please consider this email my two-week notice, revocable if the firm comes up with a satisfactory response to the current moment, which should include at minimum (i) signing on to the firm amicus brief in support of Perkins Coie in its litigation fighting the Trump administration’s executive order against it, (ii) committing to broad future representation, regardless of whether powerful people view it as adverse to them, (iii) refusal to cooperate with the EEOC’s request for personal information of our colleagues clearly targeted at intimidating non-white employees, (iv) public refusal to fire or otherwise force out employees at the Trump administration’s directive or implied directive and (v) public commitment to maintenance of affinity groups and related initiatives.
This is not what I saw for my career or for my evening, but Paul Weiss’ decision to cave to the Trump administration on DEI, representation and staffing has forced my hand. We do not have time. It is now or it is never, and if it is never, I will not continue to work here.
The fact that this firm gave in, rolled over and is playing dead so quickly is frightening and displays the vindictiveness of this administration. Will the courts be able to keep them in check, and will the Democrats be able to regain leadership in the house and possibly the senate? Depending on who I listen to, some say that we have no chance in possibly ever regaining the senate given the strength of the opposition- I am holding to my belief that by next year so many of the current Trump supporters will have suffered to the point that they will be open to a different choice!
By then it probably won't matter. Trump and Co. only needed those voters for one last election. Now there's literally nothing stopping Republicans from just declaring victory in every race and siccing the justice department or one of its newly acquired subsidiaries like Paul, Weiss on anyone who speaks up about it.
The legal and judicial systems aren't going to help. That hope died out when Biden and the Democrats as a whole failed to either expand the supreme Court or remove the fascist shitheads disgracing the place.
Things aren't going to change in any substantial way until Trump and a lot of other Republicans die. Be it of old age, illness, or one of their batshit comrades getting trigger happy and doing some accidental friendly fire. Trump dying fractures the personality cult and the ensuing power vacuum represents our only real chance of regaining a foothold. If there's any opposition party left at that point anyway.
If Schumer's still in charge at that point he'll just sit back and do the gentlemanly thing and let Republicans retake absolute power before writing a strongly worded letter or something.
Are there no checks and balance for these corrupt, unethical, vindictive henchmen lawyers??? Serious question. Disbar? Class action suits? Amicus briefs? Anything??
Paul, Weiss, a law firm you would never go to fight to the end for your interests. Columbia University, a university that you would not choose if you want a place of higher learning. Their priorities lie elsewhere.
The science fiction genre has been markedly prescient about today’s society. Especially the quieter and thoughtful ones (such as Gattica and Elysium) that have the audience focused on the story. But even the flashy ones (Star Wars, The Hunger Games, etc.) are about fascism and wealth inequality. Yet most people do not get the theme of the movies {sigh}.
I'm horrified. The ability of the Trump thugs to terrorize and bully people who should possess the means to fight back is sickening, but the capitulation is even worse. To throw in the towel is cowardice and it does nothing to stem the tide of precedent. Now that precedent has been established, there is nothing to stop Trump from shutting down every law firm who has ever crossed him.
This also tells me that the actual threats made by Trump are much worse than what's been made public. It's going to give me nightmares, as it should all of us,
Anyone who cares about this issue should read about, respect and honor Rachel Cohen the embodiment of the Fearless Girl (which, coincidentally, also "needed" to be removed): https://democracychronicles.org/fearless-girl-statue/
Rachel Cohen, a 2022 graduate of Harvard Law School and former third-year associate at Skadden Arps, is awesome. She certainly foresaw how Skadden (and others in the legal community) would react, and she made an intelligent, courageous stand on principle that led by example and cost her quite a lot. The legal profession should do what it can to support her stand, even if they dare to do so only from behind the scenes.
As David Lat of Original Jurisdiction and Judicial Notice put it, Ms. Cohen led the profession in integrity and courage:
putting together an open letter from Biglaw associates, which denounced the Trump administration’s “all-out attack aimed at dismantling rule-of-law norms.” As of last weekend’s Judicial Notice, the letter had 300 signatures from Biglaw associates; today, the number exceeds 1,350. She also penned an opinion piece for Law360, Firms Must Speak Up After Trump Orders: An Associate’s View, claiming that Trump’s attack on Biglaw has given risen to “the most urgent moment for the legal industry in our lifetimes. How we answer it will haunt us or be a point of pride. Let it be the latter.”
After news of the Paul Weiss deal broke, Cohen kicked it up a notch, in a firmwide email she sent to everyone at Skadden:
Please consider this email my two-week notice, revocable if the firm comes up with a satisfactory response to the current moment, which should include at minimum (i) signing on to the firm amicus brief in support of Perkins Coie in its litigation fighting the Trump administration’s executive order against it, (ii) committing to broad future representation, regardless of whether powerful people view it as adverse to them, (iii) refusal to cooperate with the EEOC’s request for personal information of our colleagues clearly targeted at intimidating non-white employees, (iv) public refusal to fire or otherwise force out employees at the Trump administration’s directive or implied directive and (v) public commitment to maintenance of affinity groups and related initiatives.
This is not what I saw for my career or for my evening, but Paul Weiss’ decision to cave to the Trump administration on DEI, representation and staffing has forced my hand. We do not have time. It is now or it is never, and if it is never, I will not continue to work here.
Jennifer Rubin interviewed Rachel Cohen on The Contrarian this morning. What an outstanding young woman.
The fact that this firm gave in, rolled over and is playing dead so quickly is frightening and displays the vindictiveness of this administration. Will the courts be able to keep them in check, and will the Democrats be able to regain leadership in the house and possibly the senate? Depending on who I listen to, some say that we have no chance in possibly ever regaining the senate given the strength of the opposition- I am holding to my belief that by next year so many of the current Trump supporters will have suffered to the point that they will be open to a different choice!
By then it probably won't matter. Trump and Co. only needed those voters for one last election. Now there's literally nothing stopping Republicans from just declaring victory in every race and siccing the justice department or one of its newly acquired subsidiaries like Paul, Weiss on anyone who speaks up about it.
The legal and judicial systems aren't going to help. That hope died out when Biden and the Democrats as a whole failed to either expand the supreme Court or remove the fascist shitheads disgracing the place.
Things aren't going to change in any substantial way until Trump and a lot of other Republicans die. Be it of old age, illness, or one of their batshit comrades getting trigger happy and doing some accidental friendly fire. Trump dying fractures the personality cult and the ensuing power vacuum represents our only real chance of regaining a foothold. If there's any opposition party left at that point anyway.
If Schumer's still in charge at that point he'll just sit back and do the gentlemanly thing and let Republicans retake absolute power before writing a strongly worded letter or something.
Are there no checks and balance for these corrupt, unethical, vindictive henchmen lawyers??? Serious question. Disbar? Class action suits? Amicus briefs? Anything??
It all feels so hopeless.
Paul, Weiss, a law firm you would never go to fight to the end for your interests. Columbia University, a university that you would not choose if you want a place of higher learning. Their priorities lie elsewhere.
The science fiction genre has been markedly prescient about today’s society. Especially the quieter and thoughtful ones (such as Gattica and Elysium) that have the audience focused on the story. But even the flashy ones (Star Wars, The Hunger Games, etc.) are about fascism and wealth inequality. Yet most people do not get the theme of the movies {sigh}.
I'm horrified. The ability of the Trump thugs to terrorize and bully people who should possess the means to fight back is sickening, but the capitulation is even worse. To throw in the towel is cowardice and it does nothing to stem the tide of precedent. Now that precedent has been established, there is nothing to stop Trump from shutting down every law firm who has ever crossed him.
This also tells me that the actual threats made by Trump are much worse than what's been made public. It's going to give me nightmares, as it should all of us,