Attorney Resigns from Skadden After Its Capitulation to DJT

Attorney Brenna Trout Frey resigned from the “big law” firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and issued a scathing statement condemning its pre-emptive capitulation to Donald Trump.

Her statement in full:

Today the executive partner of my former firm sent us all an “update” that attempted to convince some of the best minds in the legal profession that he did us a solid by capitulating to the Trump administration’s demands for fealty and protection money. Fellow Skadden attorneys: If you agree with Jeremy London’s position that the firm should not engage in “illegal DEI discrimination,” should devote prestigious Skadden Fellows to the Trump administration’s pet projects, and should help “politically disenfranchised groups who have not historically received legal representation from major national law firms,” (taking into account the robust pro bono work that major national law firms already do), then by all means continue working there. But if that email struck you as a craven attempt to sacrifice the rule of law for self-preservation, I hope you do some soul-searching over the weekend and join me in sending a message that this is unacceptable (in whatever way you can). As one of my more eloquent former colleagues put it: “Do not pretend that what is happening is normal or excusable. It isn’t.”

There is only one acceptable response from attorneys to the Trump administration’s demands. The rule of law matters.

The rule of law matters. As an attorney, if my employer cannot stand up for the rule of law, then I cannot ethically continue to work for them.