Skadden’s Naiveté On Display In 60 Minutes Piece

Since president Donald Trump declared war on the rule of law, the niche world of Biglaw has made the national news. The increased focus on law firms was on display on yesterday’s episode of 60 Minutes. The show (also a target of a vindictive Trump) featured a segment on the Executive Orders targeting Biglaw firms, and the capitulation of nine firms to the demands of the president.

None of what was covered in the segment is really new information for regular readers of Above the Law. *We* know that the attacks are a bonkers display from a wannabe strongman. That there’s been a bipartisan meeting of the legal minds, so when former Bush Deputy Attorney General Donald Ayer said on 60 Minutes, “Everyone’s got a right to a lawyer. Everyone’s got a right to go to court. And it’s something we’ve always assumed to be true, and now it’s threatened,” it wasn’t surprising. Sad and scary, yes, but not surprising.

And John Keker’s dire warning that we’re on the brink of, “No rule of law. You’re in a dictatorship,” seems familiar.

But stark was former Skadden associate Breanna Frey’s observation that the firms capitulating to Trump are “naive.” Frey — who quit her job when Skadden inked its deal with the administration — said, “There was nothing in these agreements that prevents the president from issuing another executive order against the law firm in the future.” And, like Darth Vader, there’s nothing that stops Trump from changing the terms of the deal to suit his whims — something he’s already started doing.

While the message of the 60 Minutes piece might be one familiar to Biglaw, it’s great to know its being communicated to a broader audience.

Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @Kathryn1@mastodon.social.

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