Law firm Paul Weiss agreed to provide USD 40 million in pro bono legal services for right-wing causes and cases over the next four years. This decision was prompted by a 14 March 2025 executive order by Donald Trump that suspended its security clearances and threatened existing federal contracts. The second Trump administration later rescinded this order.
Settlement Between Paul Weiss and Donald Trump Raised Concerns Across the Legal Community
Background
The particular March executive order claimed that global law firms like Paul Weiss have played a significant role in weakening the judicial process and eroding fundamental American principles. It cited a 2021 incident in which a Paul Weiss partner and former leading prosecutor in the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller brought a pro bono lawsuit against individuals alleged to have participated in the U.S. Capitol incident on 6 January 2021.
Hence, to resolve the situation, Paul Weiss agreed to provide USD 40 million in pro bono legal services over the next four years. The law firm clarified that these services will focus on initiatives such as supporting veterans and combating antisemitism. Moreover, as part of its agreement with the Trump administration, it also consented to audit its employment practices to ensure compliance with merit-based standards instead of DEI-based initiatives.
Note that the administration also demanded for Paul Weiss to formally recognize what it believed was the misconduct of former partner Mark Pomerantz, the serious risks posed by the weaponization of law firms, and the importance of restoring the justice system. Note that Pomerantz played a key role in developing legal cases against Trump. He had already left Paul Weiss in 2012. This was years before he started investigating the financial dealings of Trump.
Trump rescinded his executive order in return. This effectively restored the security clearances and federal contract eligibility of the law firm. Note that he signed and issued similar executive orders against law firms. It targeted Covington & Burling on 25 February 2025 because it represented former Special Counsel Jack Smith and then Perkins Cole on March 6 due to its prior legal representation of Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Responses
Nevertheless, the settlement between Paul Weiss and the second Trump administration has worried other members of the legal community and critics of Trump. Mark Elias, elections attorney and founder of election litigation tracker and voting rights platform Democracy Docket, said in a post shared on the social media platform Bluesky that Paul Weiss did not just bend the knee but also set a novel standard for what he deemed as shameful capitulation.
HuffPost senior reporter Paul Blumenthal described the decision as “galling” considering the fact that the law firm has a commendable history of standing up for civil rights and minority groups. Molly Coleman, former Paul Weiss summer associate and current executive director of the People’s Parity Project, wrote on LinkedIn and called the settlement “unbelievably shameful” while noting that the firm has touted its role in Brown v. Board of Education.
Paul Weiss Chairman Brad Karp emphasized that Trump was not dictating its pro bono services and that the settlement does not involve the law firm becoming a tool of the administration. In an email sent to the employees of Paul Weiss, which was published in Original Jurisdiction, Karp explained that the executive order brought the full weight of the government down on the firm and it could have easily destroyed them since it also affected their clients.
Trump has demonstrated how he can impact the business of law firms. Information obtained by Reuters from an unnamed informant familiar with how Paul Weiss arrived at the decision noted that the firm considered suing the Trump administration over the executive order before making the deal. However, even if the case succeeded, the upper management believed that it would scare off clients with business or litigation involving the federal government.
FURTHER READINGS AND REFERENCES
- Blumenthal, P. 21 March 2025. “The Law Firm Paul Weiss Chooses Cowardice In Confrontation With Trump.” HuffPost. Available online
- Elias, M. 21 March 2025. “It is a Sad Day for the Legal Industry.” Bluesky. Available online
- Lat, D. 24 March 2025. “Brad Karp’s Email To Paul Weiss About Its Deal With The Trump Administration.” Original Jurisdiction. Available online
- Scarcella, M, Merken, S., and Sloan, K. 22 March 2025. “Law Firm Paul Weiss Defends Deal With Trump as Lawyers Sound Alarm.” Reuters. Available online
- The White House. 14 March 2025. “Addressing Risks from Paul Weiss.” Presidential Actions. The White House. Available online