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A powerful law firms acquiescence to President Donald Trump has sent shockwaves through the legal community, prompted prominent lawyers and former associates to deride the firm, and astounded even its harshest critics. In response to an executive order from the White House targeting Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, the firms chair, Brad Karp, cut a deal with Trump to provide $40 million in free legal support and conduct an audit of the firms DEI employment and hiring protocols. Following the deal, Trump reversed his order, which would have stripped Paul Weiss of its security clearance, terminated its federal contracts, and limited its attorneys access to federal buildings. A day after announcing the agreement with Paul Weiss, the White House directed federal law enforcement to punish other lawyers who challenge Trumps initiatives in court. Until last week, Paul Weiss was best known for its pro bono work for liberal causes, fundraising for Democrats, and standing up to Trump during his first term. Trumps order essentially took revenge on the firm for bringing a pro bono lawsuit against January 6 Capitol rioters and for its ties to Mark Pomerantz, the attorney who pursued criminal charges against Trump in the Manhattan District Attorneys office. But the prestigious global firmwhich represents ExxonMobil against lawsuits claiming the oil giant deceived the public about the dangers of burning fossil fuelsalso has a history of defending corporate giants accused of harming the public. As David Moore at Sludge reported, Paul Weiss has worked to defend a range of corporate clients from liability. The firm led legal defense for the Sackler family against lawsuits for their role in the nations opioid crisis. It fought the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of tobacco giant Phillip Morris when it was sued for covering up and undermining the link between smoking and cancer. Its recent work has included successfully defending Amazon executives against antitrust claims and shielding JP Morgan Chase and its directors from allegations involving Jeffrey Epsteins criminal activity. Today, Paul Weiss serves as Exxons lead representation in climate deception cases brought against the oil giant by state and local governments. The company is often represented in court by Kannon Shanmugam, a top litigator at the firm who led preparations for a legal challenge against Trump in case Paul Weiss couldnt make a deal with the president, The New York Times reported. The firm had a choice to fight backinstead, they’ve chosen to give in, which suggests that they think their profits are better served by being in Trump’s pocket than by appearing objective, said Haley Czarnek, national director of programs and operations at Law Students for Climate Accountability, a group that advocates for the legal industry to reckon with its role in the climate crisis. In its latest climate scorecard, Czarneks group calculated that Paul Weisswhich scored an F grade for its work involving climate changetopped all other Vault 100 firms in the number of cases in which it represented fossil fuel companies between 2019 and 2023. Still, Czarnek said she was shocked by the deal Paul Weiss made with Trump. To completely and totally capitulate to the whims of a political figure and to turn themselves into another arm of the administration is obscene, she said. Law Students for Climate Accountability was founded as a result of law student protests at Harvard, Yale, NYU, and the University of Michigan in 2020 urging Paul Weiss to drop Exxon as a client. The group wants to send the message that firms cannot be neutral when it comes to the climate, because fossil fuel corporations have big money to throw around and the communities harmed by the climate crisis do not, said Czarnek. (Oil interests donated more than $75 million to Trumps presidential campaign.) At the time those protests began, the firm had just defeated a lawsuit brought by the New York attorney general accusing Exxon of misleading investors about the risks of climate change to its business. While arguing to dismiss that case, Paul Weiss attorneys cited a meeting memo that federal prosecutors say was illegally obtained in a hacking-for-hire scheme targeted at supporters of the lawsuits, which has since been linked back to Exxon by a middleman who pleaded guilty to participating in the hacking. The firm also defended Exxon against a lawsuit brought by Indonesian villagers who said soldiers the company hired to guard its natural gas facility committed murder and torture. The case was settled in 2023, after a former Paul Weiss attorney representing Exxon was admonished by a judge for litigation misconduct that later cost her a job at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Paul Weiss helped offset that controversial work with its large pro bono practice, touting its unwavering commitment to providing pro bono legal assistance to the most vulnerable members of our society and in support of the public interest. Now part of that practice will be dedicated to issues championed by Trumpthough the firms chairman, Karp, promised its staff that the president would not be dictating which of those issues the firm chose. It makes really transparent what pro bono has always been aboutwhich is doing good work for the firm, not for the public, said Czarnek, who said that firms will typically only take on pro bono work that doesnt conflict with the interests of their corporate clients. The pro bono arm of any firm is a PR operation that exists to bolster the reputation of the firm, she said. Another law firm for major fossil fuel companies, Gibson Dunn, has used pro bono work in a similar way. During the first Trump administration, Gibson Dunn partner Ted Boutrous, who regularly argues on behalf ofChevron, offered free representation to those targeted by the president in violation of the First Amendmentand the firm represented CNN journalist Jim Acostawho had his press pass to the White House revokedamong others. Gibson Dunn represents Chevron against climate deception lawsuits, and just won a nearly $670 million verdict for Energy Transfer in its lawsuit against Greenpeace for assisting protests against the Dakota Access Pipelineone of several cases the firm has pursued that legal experts say are intended to chill the free speech of its clients opponents. The scales may continue to tip against communities and advocates also targeted by the Trump administration, who say theyve been unable to obtain legal representation as law firms fearing retribution yield to Trumps threats. But Exxon, at least, will still have its lawyers. This piece was originally published on ExxonKnews, a project with the Center for Climate Integrity.
Category:
E-Commerce
Law school applications typically spike in times of financial and labor market distress, but a significant recent surge may be more driven by other factors. According to the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC)which, among other things, administers the law school admissions test (LSAT)application volume for the 2025 school year is up 20.5% compared to last year. When we ask test takers and applicants Why are you applying to law school?, the primary reason is to make a difference, says LSACs interim president and CEO Susan Krinsky. As a result, she attributes the latest increase to the world around us, explaining there have been a few very interesting Supreme Court cases, and then we’ve got the political environment. Krinsky adds that election years often see somewhat higher law school applicant numbers, but such a significant jump is usually only typical in times of severe economic distress, like the 2008 financial crisis or the early pandemic. We will often see at least a small bump in U.S. presidential election years, but not like this one. This one is unique, she says, adding that while financial motivations are likely still a significant motivator they now appear to be secondary. The increase in law school applications also follows a similar spike in business school applications this year, which experts also believe was more divorced from underlying economic conditions than is typical. Like law school hopefuls, many business school applicants said they wanted the degree to make a greater impact, as well as to achieve greater work-life balance, and to guard themselves against the unpredictable effects of artificial intelligence. Competition is heating up Not only is the number of law school applicants up this year, but LSAC data suggests each is also applying to more programs, suggesting significant competition for limited spots. The number of people applying is up about 20%. The [number of] applications they’re submitting, however, is up more like 23%, Krinsky says. I don’t think law schools are going to enlarge the size of their classes, given that its very important to law schools that their students get jobs at the other end, and its hard to predict what the market will look like three years from now. According to The Wall Street Journal, the 166 year-old University of Michigan Law School recently reached a new application volume record, while Creighton University School of Law reported a 25% increase. A spokesperson from Columbia Law School also confirmed to Fast Company that their law school, too, has seen an increase in application volume for its incoming cohort. Having done this for a long time, most of these increases and decreases are plus or minus 5%when its a big moment, its maybe 10%, says Georgetown Law School dean of admissions Andy Cornblatt. For it to be up 20% nationally, and 25% at Georgetown, is highly unusual. Prior to the fall of 2021 Cornblatt says no U.S. law school had surpassed about 12,600 applicants in a single academic year. During the pandemic, applications for Georgetowns 650-person law school hit a new record of 14,000 applications, and Cornblatt says this year is on pace to match or surpass that figure. In recessions, applications go up every time. Thats not this, he says. If you go back over time, these presidential election yearsparticularly recentlygenerate an enormous amount of interest in law and politics and policy and the courts; all of those things become front and center. Cornblatt adds that some economic uncertainty, looser policies around entrance exam requirements, and the heightened visibility of legal decisions in the social media age are all contributing factors, but none alone would explain such a significant surge. I tell students the playing field used to be boardroomsthat’s your grandparents generation, he says. The playing field now is the courtroom, and that’s where this new surge of applicants wants to be, because that’s where the action is. What an historically competitive year means for applicants The significant and widely unexpected increase in interest has forced law schools like Georgetown to take a somewhat different approach to their admissions process this year, Cornblatt says, with significant implications for applicants. People who last year would have been admitted are now probably sitting on a waitlist, and people who would have been wait-listed were probably denied, he explains. The good news is I am being very conservative with the number of people I’ve admitted, and as a result, I think we will be much more active on the waiting list than we have been in the past. In other words, being wait-listed in this highly competitive year should be taken as a more encouraging sign than in a typical year. Applicants competing for those limited spots are also encouraged to apply at more schools than they might otherwise, a trend already emerging in the LSAC data. Part of it is having a really high LSAT scoremore competitive than the average of the school, says Claudia Nelson, the director of operations and client relations at higher education admissions consulting firm Admit Advantage. If you want to be seen as a competitive applicant you need to also have really excellent materialspersonal statements, diversity statements, other addendumand apply early. The start of a four-year trend? Though applicants are probably too late to start their application for the 2025 school year, Nelson advises those seeking admissions in future years to get started as soon as essay questions are made public, typically in mid-to-late-summer. After all, if application volume is indeed being driven by political turmoil, Nelson says law school admissions are likely to remain highly competitive in the years ahead. We’ve seen a lot of applicants report that they want to go into civil rights and human rightsand I want to say that [the repeal of] Roe v. Wade was probably a big wake-up call for peopleso its about more than just whats happening in the [labor and financial] markets, she says. If all else stays consistent, well probably see an increase throughout this [presidential] administration.
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E-Commerce
Have you ever wanted to sign up for an online service but you didnt want to provide your real email address as part of the process? Theres a good chance your email address has your actual name in it. Or perhaps you want to avoid the risk of getting spammed. What if youd rather just sign up privately and have a quick no more emails please button? Thats precisely where a reliable email forwarding service can save the day. It empowers you to create a special disguised email address and then use it when signing up with a new app, services, or website. Youll still get any emails sent to the anonymous email address in your normal email inboxbut the service you sign up with wont ever see your real address, and you can turn off the incoming emails whenever you like. Most such services require a payment, and they aren’t all trustworthy. But Ive got a great exception to recommend. Unearth all sorts of fantastic tech treasures with my free Cool Tools newsletter from The Intelligence. A useful new discovery in your inbox every Wednesday! Protect your privacy with anonymous email addresses The best email-masking service for casual, everyday purposes is SimpleLogin. Its owned by Protona reputable company with a history of trust around the privacy-focused ProtonMail and ProtonVPN services. With a free SimpleLogin account, you can create up to 10 disguised email aliases for free. You can then use them wherever you want online to shield your real email address. You can get started in about 30 seconds: Go to the SimpleLogin website and sign up for an account. Just provide your real email address (here, at least, lest you be unable to receive any of your fake-address forwarding messages)then choose a password and click a link sent to your real email account to confirm. Click Random Alias on the SimpleLogin dashboard to create your first new random email alias. (There are other options, tooand a nice little tutorial.) Provide that email alias to any website while creating an account instead of your actual, real address. ~simplelogin.pngSimpleLogin makes it easy to create and copy privacy-minded masked addresses.~ Thats it! You can manage email addresses on the SimpleLogin sitefor example, you can click a switch and stop receiving new emails sent to the alias. Its very helpful for avoiding spam. SimpleLogin is available on the web as well as through an Android app and iPhone app, if you’d rather. The service is free for up to 10 aliases. For $36 per year, you can get unlimited aliases and more features, including the premium version of the Proton Pass password manager. SimpleLogins privacy policy looks great. The service says it never keeps your emails, and it does not log your IP address. Treat yourself to even more tech treasures with my free Cool Tools newsletterone new off-the-beaten-path gem in your inbox every Wednesday and an instant introduction to an exceptional audio tool to start!
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E-Commerce
A few years ago, DEI pledges and conversations about allyship were everywhere. But with the second Trump administration, many companies have either explicitly cut these programs or let them fade away quietly. Yet, the issues that made DEI initiatives necessary in the first place have not vanished and minority groups continue to face discrimination in the workplace and beyond. How can individualsboth managers and employeescontinue to be allies at a time when it isnt at the forefront of the conversation? One potential source of inspiration is Lady Gaga, who has been a consistently staunch advocate and ally to the LGBTQ+ community. Recently, shes been using her platform to speak out on behalf of trans people as their rights and lives are under attack. Lady Gagas Grammy Speech and Interview with Zane Lowe This February, the 67th Grammy Awards aired shortly after President Trump issued an executive order declaring the U.S. only recognizes two sexes (despite overwhelming scientific evidence). So when Lady Gaga won the award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance with Bruno Mars, she took her moment on stage to validate the trans community: I just want to say tonight that trans people are not invisible, Gaga said. Trans people deserve love. The queer community deserves to be lifted up. Music is love. In March, Lady Gaga sat down with DJ Zane Lowe to chat about her upcoming album, Mayhem. During the interview, she reflected on her Grammy speech and affirmed that the attack on trans people is ongoing. What trans people are being faced with in this world is completely unfair, wrong, and theres this violence thats taking place on a daily basis in their lives, Gaga said. I think that we all need to support trans people and each other to know that they deserve to be supported and loved and protected and lifted up. Lady Gagas Legacy of LGBTQ+ Advocacy Gagas recent remarks are not the first time shed advocated for the LGBTQ+ community. In 2009, when Gaga first rose to prominence, she immediately became subject to rumors that she was assigned male at birth. Rather than denying the claim, Gaga instead told Anderson Cooper that maybe the rumors were true and Would it be so terrible?a response that was highly impactful to trans fans at the time. Gaga also spoke out against Dont Ask, Dont Tell, bringing four LGBT soldiers who had been discharged to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards and headlining a rally calling for the act to be repealed. In 2024, trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney received online abuse for an International Womens Day post; Lady Gaga responded on her own Instagram, calling out not just those attacking Mulvaney, but also the medias framing of their actions as backlash rather than hatred or violence. Lessons in Advocacy and Allyship from Lady Gaga There isnt one definition or way to be an ally to the LGBTQ+ (or any) community. However, a survey of LGBTQ+ individuals about how they define allyship identified a few common themes, and Lady Gaga lives out many of them. Advocacy and allyship require action. Accepting, validating, and respecting the identities of LGBTQ+ people is foundational to being a strong ally, but its not enough on its own. A good ally takes action through public statements, advocacy, and education over the long term. From the beginning of her career, Lady Gaga has taken action on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community, whether it’s validating trans people at a time when they feel attacked and alone in 2025 or speaking at the National Equality March on Washington in 2009. A good ally respects all lived experiences and never stops listening and learning. In her interview with Lowe, Gaga talked about how, as an ally, its essential to continue learning and understanding the stories of others: What every community that is oppressed goes through is different. It’s all unique experience, and then there’s individual people and everyone’s individual experience is different. Gaga called learning peoples stories a great gift that has taught her a lot about oppression and what she can do to help. An ally uses their privilege to help others. Gaga regularly recognizes her privilege as a cis woman and as a person with a platform, and uses these advantages to help challenge systemic injustices and advocate for others. In 2011, following a fans death by suicide, Lady Gaga met with President Obama to urge him to do more to protect children against bullying. In 2012, she and her mother founded the Born This Way Foundation to connect young people to mental health resources and destigmatize mental health. Most people dont get a chance to tell a roomful of musicians and television viewers all over the world whatever they want, so when all eyes were on Lady Gaga at this year’s Grammys, she used her moment to speak out for trans people. Lady Gaga shows that true allyship is not performative but an ongoing, active commitment to justice.
Category:
E-Commerce
Did everyone get the Microsoft 365 rate-hike notice? The personal plan is going from $70 a year to $100 a year. According to the email, my financial commitment is getting me secure cloud storage, advanced security for your data and devices, and cutting-edge AI-powered features, among other goodies. But the real reason I subscribe? Microsoft Word. We’ve all used it and many of us rely on it. But many people even arent using all the bells and whistles that come with Word and the larger Microsoft 365 package. So as Microsoft hits us with a price hike to go along with all the other price hikes consumers have been facing in the past year, now might be the perfect time to explore some excellentand completely freealternatives. Google Docs [Photo: Google] You probably already have a Google account, which means you already have access to Google Docs. That’s likely the most frictionless switch from Word. And just because Google Docs is free and easy doesnt mean its a slouch. Its cloud-based, has excellent collaboration features, plus real-time editing, voice typing, auto-saving, and seamless integration with other Google services. If youre looking for collaboration, sharing documents with multiple people, and quick document creation that wont feel vastly different from Word, this is it. LibreOffice Writer [Photo: LibreOffice] If you prefer a desktop application, need advanced formatting options, and want a powerful, feature-filled Word replacement, check out LibreOffice Writer. Its part of the LibreOffice suite, an open-source alternative to Microsoft Office, so if youre also looking to replace the desktop versions of Excel, PowerPoint, and the like, youre covered. Though LibreOffice Writer can feel a bit outdated compared to some modern options and theres an initial learning curve for those used to Word’s interface, this is a tried-and-true alternative for grizzled word-processing pros. WPS Office Writer [Photo: WPS] If youre looking for a Word-like experience without the price tag and don’t mind occasional ads, give WPS Office Writer a look. Its got a similar interface to Microsoft Word, good compatibility with Microsoft Word formats, and nice extras such as free templates, cloud saves, and mobile apps. And though it contains ads in the free version, theres an affordable $36 per year premium subscription that removes ads and throws in some extra features you may or may not use. Give the free version a fair shake first, though: The ads arent super intrusive and the feature list is plenty full for what you get.
Category:
E-Commerce
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