Source: Washington Post
by David Kendall
“Nine large law firms have announced deals with President Donald Trump to provide pro bono legal services of nearly $1 billion to avert executive orders targeting their legal work. One firm claimed, in an internal statement to its employees, that these settlements do not mean the White House ‘is dictating what matters we take on.’ Another said it remained ‘completely free to choose whether or not we wish to work on any particular pro bono matter.’ The Trump administration, on the other hand, called the arrangements ‘fully binding’ and the president asserted that the nine firms have paid him ‘a lot of money in the form of legal fees.’ … Clearly, there has been no meeting of minds. Putting aside the small fact that the executive orders are demonstrably illegal, as four judges have found, the central question about these deals is: Who’s bamboozling whom?” (04/22/25)