Latest news with #probono
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Cadwalader partner leaves to join Roberta Kaplan's law firm
June 17 (Reuters) - A litigation partner at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft who also chaired the law firm's pro bono committee has left for a smaller firm led by Roberta Kaplan, marking the latest departure from firms that struck deals with U.S. President Donald Trump to avert a White House crackdown. Ellen Holloman is joining Kaplan Martin, the litigation firm said on Tuesday, touting her experience representing major financial institutions and companies, and her pro bono work on behalf of "veterans, asylum seekers, and members of the LGBTQ community." Cadwalader in April pledged to provide at least $100 million in free legal work to causes Trump supports, one of nine firms to reach similar deals with the White House to avoid executive orders targeting their businesses. Holloman opposed Cadwalader's deal with Trump, according to a person familiar with her departure from the firm. A Cadwalader spokesperson thanked Holloman for her contributions to the firm and noted she has worked with Kaplan in the past. "We wish them continued success," the spokesperson said. Kaplan, who represented writer E. Jean Carroll in defamation lawsuits against Trump, formed Kaplan Martin last year with Tim Martin, Steven Cohen and Mitra Hormozi. The firm is representing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in litigation to block the Trump administration's efforts to end Manhattan's congestion pricing program. Other firms that made deals with the Trump administration have also lost U.S. partners in recent months. Since the end of May, nine partners have left Paul Weiss to join a new firm, Dunn Isaacson Rhee, co-founded by former Paul Weiss partner Karen Dunn. Litigation partners Martha Goodman and Amy Mauser were the latest to announce their moves in LinkedIn posts this week. Goodman and Mauser did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Paul Weiss in a statement thanked the lawyers for their contributions. On Friday a group of seven partners left Willkie Farr & Gallagher to join Cooley, which is representing Jenner & Block in its lawsuit fighting a Trump executive order against it. Willkie also added a partner from another firm this week.
CNN
4 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
American Bar Association sues over Trump administration's attacks on law firms
The American Bar Association sued the Trump administration Monday, saying the president's aggressive crackdown on large law firms aligned against him has chilled lawyers' ability to litigate cases, especially pro bono legal work on hot-button issues like immigration. The lawsuit, filed in Washington, DC, by the ABA, which has members who are attorneys in firms that cut a deal with the Trump administration, asks a judge to declare that several of the provisions in Trump's executive orders targeting major law firms are unconstitutional. Those sections include things like terminating attorneys' security clearances or access to federal buildings. The lawsuit says the Trump administration's moves toward law firms have 'cast a deep chill' over the entire profession, unfairly and unconstitutionally. 'Many attorneys are no longer willing to take on representations that would require suing the federal government,' the lawsuit states. 'Others have dropped ongoing representations; ended their participation in contemplated cases; or declined representations – even of clients with whom they had longstanding prior attorney-client relationships – not because the merits of the case were weak or the attorney had some substantive objection to taking the case, but because the representation was deemed too likely to result in severe retaliation from the President pursuant to the Intimidation Policy.' The lawsuit appears to build upon the strained and hostile politics between large swaths of the American legal community and the Trump administration. The Justice Department has repeatedly refuted the ABA since Trump took office. DOJ attorneys are no longer allowed to participate in the legal association's events, which had been standard for years, and the Department revoked the ABA's access to nonpublic information on judicial nominees. Attorney General Pam Bondi said at the time the ABA had 'lost its way, and we do not believe it serves as a fair arbiter of judicial nominees.' CNN has reached out to the Justice Department for comment. As part of the lawsuit, the ABA pointed to specific examples of legal efforts already being hampered by the administration. One organization said it 'had to forgo litigation against the Administration' because lawyers dropped out in the wake of Trump's executive orders. And law firm partners who are ABA members, report their firms are unwilling to take on cases, especially pro bono, that they might otherwise have because of the current state of fear. At least one firm is preparing for the possibility of retaliation from the Trump administration. 'The President's attacks on law firms through the Law Firm Orders are thus not isolated events, but one component of a broader, deliberate policy designed to intimidate and coerce law firms and lawyers to refrain from challenging the President or his Administration in court,' the ABA argues. Some attorneys who wanted to share their experiences as part of the suit were instructed by their respective firms not to do so, the lawsuit says. The law firms that are under heavily restrictive executive orders from the Trump White House each have sued, and have been winning their cases against the administration.
CNN
4 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
American Bar Association sues over Trump administration's attacks on law firms
The American Bar Association sued the Trump administration Monday, saying the president's aggressive crackdown on large law firms aligned against him has chilled lawyers' ability to litigate cases, especially pro bono legal work on hot-button issues like immigration. The lawsuit, filed in Washington, DC, by the ABA, which has members who are attorneys in firms that cut a deal with the Trump administration, asks a judge to declare that several of the provisions in Trump's executive orders targeting major law firms are unconstitutional. Those sections include things like terminating attorneys' security clearances or access to federal buildings. The lawsuit says the Trump administration's moves toward law firms have 'cast a deep chill' over the entire profession, unfairly and unconstitutionally. 'Many attorneys are no longer willing to take on representations that would require suing the federal government,' the lawsuit states. 'Others have dropped ongoing representations; ended their participation in contemplated cases; or declined representations – even of clients with whom they had longstanding prior attorney-client relationships – not because the merits of the case were weak or the attorney had some substantive objection to taking the case, but because the representation was deemed too likely to result in severe retaliation from the President pursuant to the Intimidation Policy.' The lawsuit appears to build upon the strained and hostile politics between large swaths of the American legal community and the Trump administration. The Justice Department has repeatedly refuted the ABA since Trump took office. DOJ attorneys are no longer allowed to participate in the legal association's events, which had been standard for years, and the Department revoked the ABA's access to nonpublic information on judicial nominees. Attorney General Pam Bondi said at the time the ABA had 'lost its way, and we do not believe it serves as a fair arbiter of judicial nominees.' CNN has reached out to the Justice Department for comment. As part of the lawsuit, the ABA pointed to specific examples of legal efforts already being hampered by the administration. One organization said it 'had to forgo litigation against the Administration' because lawyers dropped out in the wake of Trump's executive orders. And law firm partners who are ABA members, report their firms are unwilling to take on cases, especially pro bono, that they might otherwise have because of the current state of fear. At least one firm is preparing for the possibility of retaliation from the Trump administration. 'The President's attacks on law firms through the Law Firm Orders are thus not isolated events, but one component of a broader, deliberate policy designed to intimidate and coerce law firms and lawyers to refrain from challenging the President or his Administration in court,' the ABA argues. Some attorneys who wanted to share their experiences as part of the suit were instructed by their respective firms not to do so, the lawsuit says. The law firms that are under heavily restrictive executive orders from the Trump White House each have sued, and have been winning their cases against the administration.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Overturning miscarriages of justice and boosting local businesses – the power of real-world university learning
When lawyers at Northumbria University's Student Law Office (SLO) were approached by a man who appeared to have been wrongfully imprisoned for eight years for armed robbery, they believed their students could help. At the SLO, students research, interview, and sometimes represent clients on a pro bono basis, all supervised by experienced lawyers. They were right – students successfully worked to get Alex Allan's conviction overturned back in the early 2000s and, after taking his case to the court of appeal, he was paid £170,000 in compensation for the miscarriage of justice. Since then, real-world learning at Northumbria University has been driving change, helping the local community and powering the economy in the north-east. While most cases at the SLO, set up in the 1980s to give students real-world law experience, are less high profile than Allan's, they are no less impactful for the clients at the centre of them. 'We get a lot of demand,' says Dr Jonny Hall, a solicitor who worked on part of Allan's case and is now the university's academic lead for all aspects of experiential learning. Students typically work in pairs, spending some 10-15 hours a week on real-life cases across areas of law including family, crime and human rights as part of their third-year studies. 'They gain skills and experience but also knowledge and attributes,' Hall says. 'The SLO introduces students to the reality of how lawyers might be able to help people.' The SLO is just one example of how the university is integrating real-world learning within its courses, helping both students and those living, working and trading in the local area. The Business Clinic is a similar initiative. Final-year business students consult and advise national and international companies, local SMEs, social enterprises and charities on business problems, from helping a home fragrance business with its latest marketing campaign to supporting the RNLI with a series of events and fundraising ideas to help sustain the future of its base in the nearby seaside town of Cullercoats. 'It's embedded into the curriculum – we've made it an integral part of their degree – and that's important because students then have the time to devote to it,' Hall says. 'It's not just about learning by doing, it's about students applying the knowledge they are gaining in the real world to further their understanding, skills and future careers. Alongside this, they are contributing to the local economy and community – the benefits really are widespread.' The majority of the university's undergraduate degree programmes already include real-world learning, and Northumbria's goal for the future is for every UK-based undergraduate student to take part in this transformative learning as part of their studies. Many courses, such as nursing, education and social work, already require students to spend a significant percentage of their time on placement, developing the skills they need in a real-life environment. The university has enhanced the way these students train by investing in VR technologies which provide simulation scenarios to help them prepare and rehearse in a safe environment on campus, before they face similar scenarios in the real world. This ethos carries through to other courses. Physiotherapy students help patients with real issues in the Physiotherapy clinic, supervised by a chartered physiotherapist. Law and history students have collaborated to dig into legal archives, while fashion students work with major-label brands on live projects including design, marketing and social media campaigns, many of which have led to employment after graduation. 'It's a really important part of what we're trying to do across the university,' Hall says. 'We're trying to make these kinds of connections to the outside world, and to real experience,' he says. 'Each student goes on an individual journey, and for most I would say it enhances both their learning experience and their career prospects.' This approach has helped Northumbria University drive social mobility and power an inclusive economy in the north-east, an integral part of the university's mission. 'Northumbria places more graduates in highly skilled north-east positions than any other university,' says Prof Graham Wynn, the university's pro-vice-chancellor (education). 'We do this by constantly evolving our education offer to be ever-more responsive to the educational needs of our students and our region.' This creates a pipeline of talent for the area's economy and beyond – the university supplies policing, nursing and social work apprentices in the region, as well as healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs and skilled graduates for established and emerging sectors. 'I think Northumbria is a great example of a university that really is very focused on its economic mission and that means making sure students get good jobs on graduating, or create jobs for themselves and other people,' says Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK, which has recently published reports on the skills needed by employers over the next decade and the economic impact of start-up and spin-out businesses originating from universities. 'The university works hard to make sure students can show prospective employers what they have done that has real-world applicability and will make them really attractive.' One of the university's great success stories is iamproperty, a business founded by two Northumbria graduates in 2009, with support from the university. It has since grown to become a business with annual revenues of £76m, making it one of the UK's largest residential auctioneer companies, employing more than 700 people. However, back in 2008, founders Ben Ridgway and Jamie Cooke were just two 24-year-olds with an idea. '[The university] was able to give us a small two-man office in the business centre that covered our phone bills, print bills and post bills for that first year,' Cooke says. 'They put us in contact with advisers, helped with our accounting process and legals and that was really, really helpful.' Without the university's backing, he says, it would have been difficult for the fledgling company to get off the ground. 'I'd like to think we would have got there, but I know for a fact that our growth would have been stunted without the support that we had,' Cooke says. 'They knew we were wet behind the ears and they put their arms around us and helped us.' Now, iamproperty recruits graduates from Northumbria University because the founders value the real-world learning students get there. 'We were really looking back to the university as a talent pool to recruit from because we knew the kind of education and the knowledge people were coming out with, and we knew they were hands-on, that they'd had the level of experiences that we had had,' Cooke says. 'We attend all its graduate fairs … to make sure we're bringing in a really high calibre of people with a real base knowledge that we can push on from.' Overall, Northumbria University's emphasis on experiential learning is supporting local communities and businesses, and beyond. The SLO, Business Clinic and success stories like iamproperty are examples of how 'economic powerhouses' such as Northumbria University are powering an inclusive economy that benefits everyone, says Stern. 'There are seeds of tangible, meaningful growth that will mean people in the north-east have access to better jobs, and money and investment coming into the region,' she says. 'And that matters – that really matters. People can feel it in their everyday lives.' Find out more about how Northumbria University is shaping futures and driving change
New York Times
25-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Trump Allies Look to Benefit From Pro Bono Promises by Elite Law Firms
President Trump has tossed around many ideas about how elite law firms can fulfill their commitments to provide free legal work for causes he supports, among them fighting antisemitism, negotiating coal leases, hammering out trade deals and defending police officers accused of misconduct. Greta Van Susteren, the conservative media personality and lawyer, had her own idea of how one of those elite firms, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, could make good on the pro bono promises. She wanted the large law firm to help a friend of a friend sue a local Michigan judge. So Ms. Van Susteren gave the head of Skadden's pro bono practice a call about her friend's friend, a 47-year-old veteran, who she said had been unfairly issued a protective order in his divorce proceeding that violated his civil rights. Skadden, Ms. Van Susteren said, initially told her that it could not represent this person and later offered in an email to play 'some sort of support role' in the case. The current Newsmax host, who formerly worked for Fox News, was not satisfied. Ms. Van Susteren took to X, the social media site, to blast Skadden, calling it 'disgraceful,' and tagged Mr. Trump. 'I was annoyed, ' Ms. Van Susteren said in an interview. 'I wanted them to actually help this veteran.' Earlier this year, the Trump administration agreed to spare Skadden and eight other large law firms from executive orders that could have crippled their businesses in exchange for commitments from those firms to collectively provide nearly $1 billion in pro bono legal work and represent clients from all political points of view. Now individuals and organizations allied with Mr. Trump are starting to request that the firms make good on the free legal work they committed to perform, according to 11 people briefed on the outreach, including some who requested anonymity to discuss internal law firm business. In an email to Ms. Van Susteren, reviewed by The New York Times, Skadden wrote that her request to help the veteran was one of 'many outreaches for assistance' the firm had received 'in the wake of our agreement with the White House.' Veterans, in particular, are reaching out to large firms like Skadden, Kirkland & Ellis, and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, having learned about the deals through media coverage and Mr. Trump's posts on Truth Social. Kirkland anticipated that news of its deal with Mr. Trump last month would lead to an influx of individual requests for legal help from the public, so the firm set up a separate email address for people looking for legal assistance, according to two people familiar with the matter. The firm also was concerned that lawyers and staff working on pro bono matters could receive threats and harassment from the public, another person briefed on the matter said. At Paul Weiss, which was the first major firm to reach a deal with Mr. Trump, many of the requests have come from veterans, one of the groups that the president suggested the firms could help. Some veterans have viewed the deals as an open invitation to ask for free legal work. In recent months, several have called Paul Weiss's pro bono department asking for help on a range of issues, including their rental leases and medical benefits, two people with knowledge of the requests said. Such requests are highly unusual for a large firm like Paul Weiss. Like many other elite law firms, it has typically relied on public interest groups to first review any pro bono requests before an internal law firm committee formally approves them. The idea is to make sure that pro bono resources are directed toward cases that will have a large impact. Just two months after striking the deals with Mr. Trump, law firms are in uncharted territory. They are trying to make good on their pro bono commitments to Mr. Trump while not giving up their autonomy to choose cases or alienating their staff, who want to work on legal issues that broadly serve the public's interest. But the firms are unsure about how to satisfy the terms of their pro bono commitments, or how to keep track of the work that might qualify as part of those commitments, according to three people briefed on the matter. While Mr. Trump has suggested certain issues and causes the law firms could help with, a White House official said the administration has not made any direct requests of the law firms to provide pro bono work to a particular group or individual. The White House official said he was not aware of Ms. Van Susteren's outreach and declined to comment on it. Still, some interest groups are trying to seize this unusual moment to obtain free legal work. One of them is the Oversight Project, a conservative group affiliated with the Heritage Foundation. The group has sent letters to dozens of big law firms, including some that settled with the White House, asking each of them to provide up to $10 million in pro bono legal work to support litigation brought by conservative groups. Mike Howell, president of the Oversight Project, said some law firms had rejected his request without giving reasons. But he said some firms were continuing to talk to his organization 'in good faith.' The Oversight Project focuses on investigating government activities that it believes are examples of the weaponization of the legal process. Steven Banks, a lawyer who headed up pro bono for Paul Weiss before leaving a few weeks ago, said Mr. Trump and his allies were stretching the definition of pro bono legal services. Last month, Mr. Trump issued an executive order that said law firms could be enlisted to defend police officers who were 'unjustly' treated in performing their jobs. (William Johnson, executive director of the National Association of Police Organizations, a coalition of police unions and associations, said he was not aware of any law enforcement group seeking pro bono help from one of the law firms that settled with the White House.) Mr. Banks, who once ran the Legal Aid Society in New York, said he understood how some veterans might have gotten the wrong impression that Mr. Trump's deals with law firms guaranteed them the right to free legal help from one of these big firms. Even before the deals were announced, most big law firms routinely did work on veterans issues, such as working with groups that advocate for Gold Star families — survivors of service members who died on active duty. But simply being a veteran is not enough to qualify for free help, since pro bono resources typically go to those who have limited incomes or who have an issue that involves the government threatening someone's rights or civil liberties, Mr. Banks said. 'Pro bono is about representing the less powerful against the more powerful,' he said. At many large law firms, pro bono work can be an important tool to recruit lawyers who want to be part of a firm that does public interest work in addition to representing high-paying corporations. But some large firms have begun to decline pro bono assignments that could be seen as challenging the administration's policies on issues like immigration to stay on Mr. Trump's good side. At Kirkland, a group of junior attorneys have said they won't abide by the pro bono terms of their firm's deal with Mr. Trump. The lawyers have let it be known internally that they do not want to work on any matters that count toward fulfilling the firm's commitment to provide free legal work as part of the agreement with the White House, according to three people briefed on the matter but not authorized to talk publicly about internal firm issues. Skadden's deal with the White House in late March to provide $100 million in pro bono work caught the attention of Chuck Lang, a high school friend of Ms. Van Susteren's. In an interview, he said he had hoped she could use her connections to the White House — her husband works in the administration — to assist his veteran friend in Michigan. Mr. Lang said that the veteran, who believed his civil liberties had been violated, fit the definition of someone deserving of pro bono legal assistance. The veteran, Mr. Lang explained to Ms. Van Susteren, wanted help suing a judge who he said had wrongly issued a protective order against him in a divorce proceeding because his former wife works for the judge and is her friend. Under the protective order, Mr. Lang said, the veteran could not see his children without supervision or own a firearm. The veteran, Mr. Lang said, had spent over $200,000 in legal fees and supervision costs. Suing a sitting judge under any circumstance is tough. But Ms. Van Susteren said she was hoping that Skadden would be up for the challenge. Skadden suggested that the veteran first hire a local lawyer, outlining the firm's reasoning in an April email to Ms. Van Susteren, which was reviewed by The Times. 'As we are sure you can appreciate, there are times when the legal needs of a prospective client are best addressed by other counsel who possess more specialized expertise or local experience,' Skadden explained in the email. The veteran, the email continued, would be 'best served with local counsel and our firm playing some sort of support role.' In a separate email to the veteran, which was reviewed by The Times, Skadden said once he had found a local lawyer that person should 'reach out directly to us to discuss how we can best support their efforts.' Ms. Van Susteren said Skadden should have provided more help. 'Most people don't know how to find lawyers and need extra help,' she said in an interview. 'That task is something that they could have helped him do.'
