Overview

• The Trump administration has secured agreements from nine major law firms, with recent deals requiring up to $125 million in pro bono commitments per firm.
• These agreements follow executive orders targeting firms with threats of security clearance revocations, federal access bans, and regulatory scrutiny.
• Law firms cite economic pressures and fears of operational instability as key reasons for capitulating to the administration’s demands.
• Critics, including lawmakers and legal experts, argue that these deals undermine the independence of the legal profession and compromise checks and balances in the legal system.
• Some firms, like Perkins Coie, have launched legal challenges against the executive orders, achieving initial court victories that block certain retaliatory measures.