The White House has effectively extorted some of America’s most prestigious law firms to provide almost $1 billion in pro bono legal services to the Trump administration. This comes after House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., publicly threatened to eliminate entire federal courts if he doesn’t like how they rule. Both of these actions should set off alarms—not just for lawyers, but for anyone who cares about democracy.
Some lawyers and legal analysts insist these agreements are “unenforceable,” or will only advance causes supported by the president, but not actual pro bono services for the government. However, the increased attacks on the integrity and structure of government by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) make it clear that these propositions aren’t mere suggestions. These agreements are an intentional effort to outsource government work in alignment with their efforts to downsize and deconstruct the government. President Trump and his allies want to use big law to conduct government business as their “solution” to laying off thousands of federal working people. They also want to use this to continue their attacks against foundations, universities, civil society organizations and corporations that refuse to comply with their agenda.
