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Lorena
@lorena-d.bsky.social
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Reposted by Lorena
annabower.bsky.social
Here is the full text of Rachel Cohen’s firm-wide email:
Jeremy and colleagues, Many deals I work on have concepts of conditional notice. This is mine. Please consider this email my two week notice, revocable if the firm comes up with a satisfactory response to the current moment, which should include at minimum i) signing on to the firm amicus brief in support of Perkins Coie in its litigation fighting the Trump administration's executive order against it, (i) committing to broad future representation, regardless of whether powerful people view it as adverse to them, (iii) refusal to cooperate with the EEOC's request for personal information of our colleagues clearly targeted at intimidating non-white employees, (iv) public refusal to fire or otherwise force out employees at the Trump administration's directive or implied directive and (v) public commitment to maintenance of affinity groups and related initiatives. This is not what I saw for my career or for my evening, but Paul Weiss' decision to cave to the Trump administration on DEl, representation and staffing has forced my hand. We do not have time. It is now or it is never, and if it is never, I will not continue to work here. When I went to law school and to Skadden, I did so in pursuit of agency. I was driven by a desire to be in rooms where decision-makers were, to get to play a role in things that mattered, because things felt so needlessly terrible. It never occurred to me that the people in those rooms might feel that they were powerless. I am forced to hope that our lack of response to the Trump administration's attacks on our peers, both those at other large firms and the many people in this country with far fewer resources, is rooted in feelings of fear and powerlessness, as opposed to tacit agreement or desire to maximize profit. I still hope that is true. But it has not yet been borne out. It feels mortifying to say "I suspect you know who I am," but I suspect you know who I am. Over the last few weeks, I have devoted an inordinate amount of time trying to leverage various relationships and privileges to get our firm and broader industry to admit that we are in the throes of early-stage authoritarianism and that we are uniquely positioned to halt it. There is an open letter (now signed by over 600 other AmLaw 200 associates, many of them at this firm), mainstream media coverage and an oped explaining why I feel this way. To anyone who feels sympathetic to the views I've espoused but wonders why I have taken the path I have: on Thursday, March 6, after the issuance of the Perkins Executive Order, I sent emails to multiple trusted partners in management asking to help with whatever response we coordinated. One of them went unanswered. One of them replied, "Thanks, Rachel. Always appreciate your With gratitude and ur... "Thanks, Rachel. Always appreciate your perspective." One of them replied offering to talk and then failed to reply to my email asking for a time until a week later, significantly after I had begun speaking publicly. Know that I attended internal meetings about this topic, sent emails to decision makers, avoided commenting on the EEOC investigation publicly or airing any internal firm discourse publicly. I did all of these things out of hope that we would do the right thing if given time and opportunity. The firm has been given time and opportunity to do the right thing. Thus far, we have not. This is a moment that demands urgency. Whether we are failing to meet it because we are unprepared or because we don't wish to is irrelevant to me— and to the world —where the outcome is the same. If we were going to resist, we would have done so already. If we were not going to respond to the EEOC (a refusal that would be fully legal), the firm would have already told us. This is the first firmwide email that has been sent on this topic. What. Are. We. Doing. Colleagues, if you question if it is as bad as you think it is, it is ten times worse. Whether what we measure is the cowardice in face of lost profits, or the proximity to authoritarianism, or the trauma inflicted on our colleagues who are nonwhite, or the disappointment that I feel in this moment, take what you suspect and multiply it by a factor of ten. Act accordingly. I recognize not everyone is positioned as I am, and cannot act the same way. But do not "Thanks, Rachel. Always appreciate your perspective." One of them replied offering to talk and then failed to reply to my email asking for a time until a week later, significantly after I had begun speaking publicly. Know that I attended internal meetings about this topic, sent emails to decision makers, avoided commenting on the EEOC investigation publicly or airing any internal firm discourse publicly. I did all of these things out of ho… Do not pretend that what is happening is normal or excusable. It isn't. To the many superiors, support staff and friends that I know I disappoint by making this announcement firmwide instead of talking to you first, I sincerely apologize. There are so many thank yous that I have for so many people at this firm. Please know that if you suspect that you have helped me or taught me or cared for me, that I agree and am eternally grateful. In the coming days, I will make every effort to reach out to you separately, but there is urgency here that makes it impossible to go to each of you first. I will do everything in my power to mitigate difficulties caused by my unexpected departure. Like any self-important adolescent, I spent most of my high school history classes wondering what I would do in the moments before true horror or chaos or where my values were tested and demanded great sacrifice. I do not wonder anymore. I know who I am. I thought I knew who we all were. Thank you for the opportunity. My personal email is cc'd. I wish each of you the best, and that you use the privileges you hold to work for the best for others. Rachel Rachel Cohen
March 21, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Reposted by Lorena
annabower.bsky.social
Tonight, hours after the Paul Weiss news broke, an associate at Skadden Arps sent a firm-wide email:

"Please consider this email my two week notice, revocable if the firm comes up with a satisfactory response to the current moment...We do not have time. It is now or it is never..."
Jeremy and colleagues, Many deals I work on have concepts of conditional notice. This is mine. Please consider this email my two week notice, revocable if the firm comes up with a satisfactory response to the current moment, which should include at minimum (i) signing on to the firm amicus brief in support of Perkins Coie in its litigation fighting the Trump administration's executive order against it, ii) committing to broad future representation, regardless of whether powerful people view it as adverse to them, (iii) refusal to cooperate with the EEOC's request for personal information of our colleagues clearly targeted at intimidating non-white employees, (iv) public refusal to fire or otherwise force out employees at the Trump administration's directive or implied directive and (v) public commitment to maintenance of affinity groups and related initiatives. This is not what I saw for my career or for my evening, but Paul Weiss' decision to cave to the Trump administration on DEl, representation and staffing has forced my hand. We do not have time. It is now or it is never, and if it is never, I will not continue to work here.
March 21, 2025 at 6:20 AM
Reposted by Lorena
marcelias.bsky.social
Paul Weiss is the Marco Rubio of law firms.
March 21, 2025 at 1:59 AM
lorena-d.bsky.social
just learned I can’t be private on here 🧐 😒 WILL be making an alt
January 23, 2025 at 4:23 PM
lorena-d.bsky.social
I was big mad at the Sally’s employee who told me to tone my hair before adding blue but look at me now with the most vivid color I’ve ever had bc I listened 🫢
December 23, 2024 at 1:00 AM