Lawyers and law firms have been facing the heat from President Donald Trump’s punitive executive orders, and if you want to know how they are responding, look no further than the Above the Law website. The orders threaten to suspend lawyers’ security clearances and put client contracts at risk, leading to a variety of reactions from BigLaw firms. Above the Law is keeping track of it all in their “BigLaw Spine Index.”
The index shows which firms have taken legal action against the Trump administration, which have supported suing firms with amicus briefs, which have removed diversity references from their websites, and which have made pro bono deals with Trump himself. The website doesn’t hold back with its daily posts, adding plenty of snark to the mix. It has become a must-read for lawyers who are upset about firms not standing up to Trump, earning the title of a “rage read.”
One recent post on the site asked readers to come up with a fitting name for BigLaw firms that have made deals with Trump to avoid the executive orders. The post included past descriptions like “the Order of the Obsequious” and highlighted the firms’ actions as “bending the knee” and “swearing fealty to the administration.” Above the Law is also known for its scoops on associate bonuses, its blunt presentation of legal news, and its coverage of scandalous lawyer behavior. The website has even caught the attention of top-tier law firms, with partners making sure not to do anything that could land them in the site’s spotlight.
