From PJMedia.com
The Trump administration has gone after left-wing activist law firms in recent weeks. One of those firms is Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP (Paul Weiss for short). On March 14, President Donald Trump issued an executive order targeting Paul Weiss for its DEI practices and for hiring attorney Mark Pomerantz, who had earlier “join[ed] the Manhattan District Attorney’s office solely to manufacture a prosecution against [Trump] and who, according to his co-workers, unethically led witnesses in ways designed to implicate [Trump].”
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The order rescinded security clearances that Paul Weiss had, terminated federal contracts, and limited access to government properties. It only took a week for Paul Weiss to accede to the administration. On Friday, the president issued an executive order rescinding the order from one week prior. According to the second order:
Earlier this week, though, Paul Weiss indicated that it will engage in a remarkable change of course. Specifically, Paul Weiss has acknowledged the wrongdoing of its former partner Mark Pomerantz, and it has agreed to a number of policy changes to promote equality, justice, and the principles that keep our Nation strong, including: adopting a policy of political neutrality with respect to client selection and attorney hiring; taking on a wide range of pro bono matters representing the full political spectrum; committing to merit-based hiring, promotion, and retention, instead of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” policies; dedicating the equivalent of $40 million in pro bono legal services during my term in office to support causes including assisting our Nation’s veterans, fairness in the justice system, and combating anti-Semitism; and other similar initiatives.
This development should give Americans hope. If the legal profession dedicates a fraction of its energy to bringing justice to local communities, unleashing hard-working businesses, strengthening the American family, and unifying our Nation, all Americans will benefit.
The New York Times wasted no time in firing its cannons at Paul Weiss for what the paper perceived as a betrayal of left-wing activist lawfare. On Saturday, the top of the NYT’s home page displayed three articles directly addressing the Paul Weiss situation: “How a Major Democratic Law Firm Ended Up Bowing to Trump,” “Paul Weiss Deal With Trump Faces Backlash From Legal Profession,” and “What to Know About Paul Weiss, the Law Firm That Gave In to Trump.”
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Those are undoubtedly all harsh characterizations of Paul Weiss, and a fourth headline at the top of the home page deals indirectly with the situation: “The Nonprofit Caught in the Fray of Trump’s Attacks on Big Law.” We’re already well aware of the Times’ far-left bent, but these headlines don’t even try to hide behind the veneer of objective reporting.
Side Note: Here at PJ Media, even when a single news story dominates a day’s coverage, we try to make sure our home page has some variety on it. Nobody wants a one-note home page (except the Times).
To add to its harsh coverage of Paul Weiss, the Times devoted a print article above the fold on Sunday — its highest-circulation day — about the firm: “How a Law Firm Decided to Fold Instead of Fight.” The sub-headline reveals a kernel of truth behind the NYT’s propaganda: “Trump Adversary Sees a Business Threat and Bends to His Will” (emphasis added).
There’s the rub: Paul Weiss’ move was more practical than political. Paul Weiss will remain a progressive firm, but it won’t be monolithically so. And that makes it anathema to the left-wing press. The Times sees Paul Weiss as a traitor to the cause of progressivism and more specifically anti-Trumpism.
Flashback: Wokeism Is a Religion Without Grace
“Graceless progressivism must destroy one of its chief law firms, which has done everything else by the progressive book. It has represented terrorists, illegal aliens, and women seeking abortions, all while providing employment to three future progressive Supreme Court justices and honoring major diversity quotas,” Erick Erickson wrote in his Monday morning newsletter. “But settling with Trump is a bridge too far.”
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“The left demands a fight,” he added. “Surrender is not an option.”
In the calculus of the New York Times, devoid of grace, the greatest sin an entity can commit is to compromise with the Trump administration. It doesn’t matter that Paul Weiss did what it did out of self-interest rather than a change of heart or on principle; the firm caved, so it’s dead to the far left.
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All articles possibly rephrased by AI or InfoArmed.com