Now that we have read Paul Weiss’s account of l’affaire Paul Weiss, let us step back and take stock.
So, we’ve got a law firm with 200 partners, 1,000 associates, and annual revenue of $2.6 billion. We’ve got a president eager to violate every law on the books, to extort the law firm without mercy, and to bend it to his will. (Why? You may well ask. The answer is because the president is scared shitless that the courts are going to try to resist his tyrannical impulses—and he’s trying to frighten all the lawyers because he’s not sure he’ll succeed in frightening all the judges.)
You’ve got a law firm facing an existential threat to its existence. You’ve got a firm that tries to organize collective action to defend itself, but without success. You’ve got a firm that considers injunctive relief in the courts, thinks it could get that injunctive relief, but also thinks it would go belly up anyway.
In these circumstances, the head of the firm goes to meet Mango Mussolini, they talk for three hours or so, and they reach a deal.
And what, pray tell, were the terms of that deal? Well, on one side, President Mussolini abandoned his threat to squash Paul Weiss like a bug.
And what did Paul Weiss do in return? Find a slightly indirect way to share, maybe half a billion dollars with Orange Jesus?
No, as its consideration, Paul Weiss gave bupkis.
In the chairman’s telling,
First, we reiterated our commitment to viewpoint diversity, including in recruiting and in the intake of new matters. Second, while retaining our longstanding commitment to diversity in all of its forms, we agreed that we would follow the law with respect to our employment practices. And third, we agreed to commit $10 million per year over the next four years in pro bono time in three areas in which we are already doing significant work: assisting our Nation’s veterans, countering anti-Semitism, and promoting the fairness of the justice system.
Such a deal.
Such a deal.
What is Wrong with this Picture?
From one perspective, Paul Weiss made out like bandits. But what’s the problem? What is wrong this this picture?
I assume that what Trump really wanted—and what he certainly got—were a lot of headlines along the lines of “Great Big Bad Law Firm Bends Knee to Trump and Kisses His Fat Ass.”
And certainly, for a long, long time to come, Paul Weiss will be known as the first big law firm to knuckle under.
Remember that a key aspect of competition for a firm like Paul Weiss is competition to recruit able you associates—so that you can sell their time at retail for $1,000 or more per hour.
If there are any brilliant law grads yearning for careers as Trump’s towel boys, I am sure they will relish the golden opportunity to come work for Paul Weiss.
As to the brilliant law grads who still have some self-respect, not so much, or so I would think.
Facing MAGA 