President Donald Trump has taken his campaign against elite law firms to a new level, turning punitive executive orders into leverage for extracting massive pro bono commitments — and the legal industry is reeling. On April 11, 2025, Trump announced that five of the country’s most powerful law firms have signed deals with his administration pledging a combined $600 million in legal services tied to causes he supports, adding to prior agreements that bring the total to nearly $1 billion. These arrangements aren’t purely charitable: firms struck them largely to avoid the threat of harsh executive orders that could strip them of federal contracts, security clearances, and access to government buildings. (WTTW News)

Since February, Trump has issued multiple executive orders targeting firms that defended his critics or took positions he dislikes, prompting a deep split in Big Law. A handful of firms chose to fight back in court, winning temporary blocks on the orders, while others — including some of the nation’s wealthiest practices — opted to settle with the White House. In his announcement, Trump touted the agreements as a win for “ending the weaponization” of the legal profession and said the firms would support initiatives like veteran assistance and combating antisemitism. (WTTW News)

Critics inside and outside the legal community argue these deals set a dangerous precedent: a president using executive authority to effectively pressure law firms into providing vast amounts of free legal labor in exchange for avoiding sanctions. The controversy has prompted lawsuits from firms that refused to cooperate and scrutiny from lawmakers concerned about coercion and the independence of the legal profession. (ABC News)

The firms who have most recently bent the knee to the Trump Regime include: Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Latham & Watkins LLP, A&O Shearman (Allen Overy Shearman Sterling), Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP.

Source (click to read):
🔗 Trump announces deals with more law firms for a combined $600 million — Washington Post (Apr. 11, 2025). (The Washington Post)