One of the law firms that made a controversial deal with President Donald Trump is getting angry pushback from former associates — including one Springfield housing leader.
In 1990, Gerry McCafferty was a fellow at the international law firm known as Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.
McCafferty said the fellowship allowed her to give free legal services to homeless people and set her on a path to her current job as Springfield’s housing director.
So, she was stunned when the same law firm — founded by Jewish and Catholic lawyers who’d been discriminated against — agreed to Trump’s demands. Those include ending the firm’s commitment to diversity in hiring and promising $100 million in free work to Trump-favored causes.
"It was a capitulation to something that's illegal, when they could have fought back," McCafferty said. "If the most powerful and moneyed firms can't take on the administration, who can?"
McCafferty was among more than 250 former Skadden fellows who signed a letter on April 4 slamming the law firm for abandoning its principles and betraying its clients.
McCafferty said she did wonder if she was putting herself at risk and could get targeted by Trump supporters.
"Maybe I am a little, but it's a pretty small risk to me," she said. "And we all need to step forward in the ways that we can. When you stand up for a wrong, you hope that helps other people be able to stand up for wrongs."
She added that pressure to agree to Trump administration demands goes beyond law firms "to universities and all kinds of segments of society. It just feels like every piece of standing up somewhere to say ‘no’ matters – cumulatively."
McCafferty hasn’t heard of any response from Skadden but was relieved to hear that other law firms and some universities have stood their ground.
