The White House moves have sent a chill through the world of Big Law, at a time when litigation has emerged as one of the few checks on the president.

In private conversations, partners at some of the nation’s leading firms have expressed outrage at the president’s actions. What they haven’t been willing to do is say so publicly. Back-channel efforts to persuade major law firms to sign public statements criticizing Trump’s actions thus far have foundered, in part because of retaliation fears, people familiar with the matter said. //

nothing in those orders prevents anyone from engaging either firm to defend, nor does it prevent anyone from associating with them.

The real complaint is that both firms, under Obama and Biden, had taken on the air of quasi-governmental law shops. Some of their lawyers held high-level security clearances without any need. Apparently, the US government maintained SCIFs at Perkins Coie offices, allowing easy access to highly classified intelligence. Some of their lawyers and staff held permanent passes permitting unescorted entry to some federal agencies. The orders do nothing to prevent either law firm from representing clients needing access to top secret information; they are just required to play by the same rules as every other law office in the country. Attorneys can get clearances on a case-by-case basis, they have to access top secret information in government SCIFs, and their attorneys can't meander through federal buildings without an escort and appointment.

McQuade's sniveling really rings false when one considers the concerted campaign by Democrats to disbar and socially disappear lawyers who worked for President Trump after the 2020 selection of Joe Biden to contest election results in Georgia and Arizona. //

If law firms want to be neutral parties, they must stop being political guns-for-hire. As former RedStater Bill Shipley noted, he took on January 6 defendants pro bono because major law firms would not touch these cases even though they would defend known terrorists. //

But if they want to be combatants, they have no reason to complain when they become targets. //

Mrminwnc T_Edward
a day ago
When you’re used to special treatment, equal treatment feels like discrimination.