The world’s largest law firms, including Big Law, have committed to providing $600 million in free legal services to President Donald Trump’s causes.

• Paul Weiss, a firm with partners including former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Senator Chuck Schumer’s brother, Robert Schumer
• Milbank, a firm represented by former acting solicitor general Neal Katyal
• Wilkie Farr & Gallagher
• Skadden, Kirkland & Ellis
• Latham & Watkins
• A&O Shearman
• Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
• Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft

A $1 billion commitment from these firms, many of which claim to uphold the rule of law, raises concerns about their motivations and potential impact on the legal system.

Many in the legal community were shocked when Paul Weiss, a firm with a history of representing corporations, agreed to provide pro bono legal services to President Trump.

“The firm’s secret sauce” was a refusal “to sacrifice culture and values in favor of the bottom line,” but in reality, the firm’s culture was one of shielding corporations from accountability.

The firm’s partners include former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Senator Chuck Schumer’s brother, Robert Schumer, and Karen Dunn, who led debate prep for both Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris.

In the past, Paul Weiss has represented corporations that have engaged in questionable activities, including:

• ExxonMobil, which has been accused of defrauding the public about climate change
• Philip Morris, which was involved in a racketeering case
• The Sackler family, who created the opioid crisis
• Wall Street’s most notorious criminals
• The NFL, which has been accused of shielding its players from concussions
• Subprime lenders, who evaded liability for the housing foreclosure crisis
• The creditors of Puerto Rico, who held the island hostage

The reality is that many Big Law firms, including those mentioned above, have a history of representing corporations that have engaged in destructive conduct.

The Democratic Party has for so long been dominated by elites whose project of corporate lawlessness paved the way for Trump in the first place.

The minority of Big Law firms that have refused to join Trump’s pro bono program, such as DLA Piper and Skadden, Kirkland & Ellis, deserve credit, but they made the choice to join Big Law in the first place.

The industry of Big Law stands for an ideology of mercenary elites who sacrifice everything—justice, democracy, a livable future—for their own venal wealth.

The mask is off, and we can all see these parasitic firms for what they really are.
The commitment of $600 million in pro bono legal services from the world’s largest law firms is a significant development in the legal landscape.
The reality is that the legal system is already destabilized, and this commitment further fuels that destabilization.

The Democratic Party has a responsibility to address the underlying issues that have led to the destabilization of the legal system.

The party must consider the long-term consequences of its failure to hold corporate law firms accountable for their actions.

The time has come for the Democratic Party to take a stand against corporate lawlessness and to demand greater accountability from corporate law firms.

The party must also consider the role of corporate law firms in shaping the legal system and the impact of their actions on the broader society.

The Democratic Party must prioritize the rule of law and the principles of justice over the interests of corporate elites.