Honestly, the way some firms reacted to the Dobbs opinion, you’d think they didn’t have a month to prepare. And maybe that’s a meta move — you see, making momentous decisions in the span of a couple weeks is difficult! — but if that was the intent, it’s falling flat.
Thankfully, since it’s easier for multimillion-dollar professional organizations to respond to the failed 1L writing assignment made flesh that is Justice Alito than regular folks figuring out 10 days late that they have to navigate — in the best of states — a veritable obstacle course of trauma, some law firms were able to use this time to get ahead of our new dystopia.
Paul Weiss doesn’t have any offices in states with new abortion rules, but that doesn’t mean the firm isn’t committed to lending its talents to important causes:
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Although our offices are located in states where abortion is likely to remain available, we are recommitting to protect reproductive choice for all. In the coming days, we will be taking action on multiple fronts, in New York and nationally. To that end, as I reported last week, we are spearheading the coalition of law firms and reproductive rights organizations, pursuant to the initiative led by New York Attorney General Letitia James to ensure that access to abortion remains available in New York to all who desire such access, including residents of other states. Our San Francisco office is working with the San Francisco Bar Association and the City Attorney to ensure access to legal abortions in California.
The work with the NY AG’s office includes leading an effort to get a reproductive rights hotline to respond to inquiries about access to safe and legal abortions in New York. The firm also informed its community about nonprofit organizations providing grants to those seeking abortion for travel and childcare expenses that the firm will match “up to $1,500 annually via our giving platform, Benevity.”
In a world where so many are failing, Paul Weiss was planning. That’s… actually a good lesson for how to lawyer.
Check out the full memo on the next page.
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Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.