Biglaw

What Biglaw Is Saying About The Unrest Sweeping The Nation

We now have 70+ statements from Biglaw on racial injustice. Will this pressure other firms to do something? We sure hope so.

What happens to a dream deferred?

We are hurting. The scenes are sickeningly familiar. The killings of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and so many others. The routine harassment and indignities. The failures to live up to human principles of justice and democracy.

Maybe it just sags
Like a heavy load.

Change starts at home, and we have work to do. As lawyers and legal professionals, we have a heightened duty. We took an oath – and with it comes professional responsibility to stand up and fight for racial and social justice. Orrick will be devoting greater resources to pro bono civil rights and social justice matters, including opportunities for our staff to participate through Orrick Cares. To start, we will launch the Orrick Racial Justice Fellowship Program to enable at least five Orrick lawyers to devote a year each to working on civil rights and social justice issues.

Or does it explode?

This is only the beginning. We will continue to work collectively to come up with new and better ways to accelerate change. We must take a stand now and act together as a profession, to ensure that we come out of this difficult period as true allies for the kind of justice system – and society – of which we want to be a part. That is the kind of difference we want to, and will, make.

Sincerely,
Mitch Zuklie

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