Attorney Rachel Cohen Resigns Over Trump Administration Law Firm Deals

Resignation Amidst Law Firm Deals

• 💡 Rachel Cohen, an attorney, resigned from the law firm Skadden Arps due to concerns about the Trump administration targeting corporate law firms.
• ⚖️ Her resignation occurred before Skadden officially struck a deal with the Trump administration, which involved $100 million in pro bono work and commitments to merit-based hiring.
• 💬 Cohen expressed disappointment in the lack of collective action from the legal industry and the non-answers provided by her firm regarding the path forward amidst the administration's actions.

Criticism of Law Firm Capitulation

• 💰 Cohen highlighted that publicly resigning associates were not high-earning partners but were still in the top 1% of earners, suggesting that financial sacrifice was possible for those with savings.
• 🗣️ She criticized figures like former second gentleman Doug Emhoff for remaining at firms making deals with Trump, stating that criticism is insufficient and leaving is necessary.
• 🎯 The deals are framed as capitulation to intimidation tactics by the president, with specifics of the Skadden deal not being publicly disclosed outside of Truth Social.

Defense of Legal Advocacy

• 🏛️ Cohen testified before Democrats in Congress, arguing that the administration cannot dictate who gets representation or use executive power to scare lawyers away from advocacy.
• ⚖️ She expressed concern that the administration's actions could intimidate firms from taking on cases like immigration representation or challenges against government actions, even those benefiting veterans.
• ✊ Cohen emphasized that the legal system fails if any president can dictate who deserves a lawyer, stressing the importance of proactivity rather than reacting after being targeted.

Firms Standing Against the Administration

• 🤝 Nine firms in the AMA 100 signed an amicus brief supporting Perkins Coie, the first target of a Trump executive order.
• 🚫 Cohen suggested that unless firms are standing up before being targeted, it's difficult to argue they are doing the "right thing."
• 🔍 She noted that the specifics of deals, like the one with Paul Weiss, have been disputed and not fully disclosed, making it hard to comment on exact terms.