With the rule of law being bent to its maximum capacity under the Trump administration, many lawyers find themselves unable to do anything but watch the situation unfold, slack jawed with confusion about how this could possibly be happening in America. Other lawyers, however, have found the courage and resolve to stand up and do what is right — regardless of the fact that they may have been standing alone in their quest to protect the legal profession from harm.
One of those fearless lawyers is Rachel Cohen, the former Skadden associate who found herself publicly condemning Trump’s threat to the rule of law before many others found the strength to join her.
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You may remember Cohen, who just one month ago was a third-year finance associate at an elite Biglaw firm, as the one who worked to put together the open letter that’s now been signed by nearly 2,000 associates, asking that Biglaw’s leaders speak up in defense of the legal profession. She then offered the firm her “conditional” two-weeks’ notice via firmwide email, pleading that Skadden simply do the right thing and admonish the Trump administration for its attacks on law firms. “We do not have time,” Cohen wrote. “It is now or it is never, and if it is never, I will not continue to work here.” The firm accepted Cohen’s resignation, and days later, word of Skadden’s capitulation to Trump hit the news. To this day, Cohen continues to rally around lawyers, encouraging them to pursue justice for the rule of law in America, and now she’s being rewarded for it.
The Rosenstrasse Civil Courage Foundation, a nonprofit organization based on “inspiring acts of civil courage in
everyday life on behalf of democracy,” recently announced that it would be honoring two lawyers “for their courage at a time when the rule of law is under threat” — and one of them is Rachel Cohen. Here are some additional details on the lawyers who will be receiving RCCF’s Civil Courage Awards:
The RCCF will honor Nikki Fried, the prominent attorney, community organizer, and Chair of Florida’s Democratic Party, who was arrested in 2023 for violating Florida’s new anti-demonstration bans while supporting freedom of choice. We will also be recognizing Rachel A. Cohen, the associate lawyer at Skadden for organizing hundreds of other big law associates to press their leadership to stand up for the rule of law, and then resigning her position in protest of her firm’s deal with Donald J. Trump, as she stated in her recent testimony before a bicameral congressional panel.
Now is the time for you to follow Nikki and Rachel’s lead. Make your voices heard. Condemn Trump’s attacks against lawyers. Protect the profession. It is crucial that you rise up to protect the rule of law, which can only bend so much until it breaks and our democracy lays in ruins.
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The awards reception will be held at Covington & Burling’s Washington, D.C., office on Thursday, May 1, from 5 to 7 p.m. This event is taking place on the same day as the National Law Day of Action, which is a wonderful conclusion to a day of purposeful protest. Please click here to reserve a ticket if you’re interested in attending.
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.