Law Firms Pledge Nearly $1 Billion in Pro Bono Work to Avoid Trump Retaliation

In April 2025, President Trump announced that five more major law firms - Kirkland & Ellis, A&O Shearman, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, Latham & Watkins, and Cadwalader - had agreed to a combined $600 million in pro bono legal work for causes he supports. Combined with earlier deals struck by firms including Paul Weiss and Skadden, the total reached roughly $940 million across nine firms.

The agreements came after Trump threatened executive orders punishing firms over diversity programs or past work for his political opponents, stripping security clearances and restricting access to federal buildings and contracts. In exchange, agencies such as the EEOC withdrew inquiries into some firms' hiring practices.

Democratic lawmakers warned the firms that the arrangements could violate anti-extortion and racketeering statutes, and legal ethics experts said the deals set a troubling precedent: elite firms bargaining with the White House to avoid punishment rather than defending independence from political pressure.