{"id":111020,"date":"2025-03-20T10:02:53","date_gmt":"2025-03-20T18:02:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/03\/20\/is-paul-weiss-the-tipping-point-for-biglaw\/"},"modified":"2025-03-20T10:02:53","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T18:02:53","slug":"is-paul-weiss-the-tipping-point-for-biglaw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/03\/20\/is-paul-weiss-the-tipping-point-for-biglaw\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Paul Weiss The Tipping Point For Biglaw?"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" height=\"456\" width=\"620\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/abovethelaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/07\/bar-exam-lawyer-attorney-scales-of-justice-620x456.jpg?resize=620%2C456&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em><u>Ed. note<\/u>: Please welcome Vivia Chen back to the pages of Above the Law. Subscribe to her Substack, \u201cThe Ex-Careerist,\u201d<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/viviachen.substack.com\/p\/does-usha-vance-deserve-our-sympathy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>THE NUMBER \u201c3\u201d has always struck me as talismanic. That\u2019s the number of wishes you get from the genie. It\u2019s the holy trinity. And, of course, three strikes, you\u2019re out.<\/p>\n<p>So when Donald Trump fired off his latest retaliatory executive order against a third major law firm \u2013 this time, the powerhouse firm of Paul Weiss \u2013 it felt like an inflection point.<\/p>\n<p>Like the two previous executive orders he issued against\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/02\/suspension-of-security-clearances-and-evaluation-of-government-contracts\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Covington &amp; Burling<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/03\/addressing-risks-from-perkins-coie-llp\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Perkins Coie<\/a>, Trump barely bothered to wear a legal fig leaf for his action, except to cite personal grievances. His two specific gripes against Paul Weiss are:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In 2021, \u201ca Paul Weiss partner and former leading prosecutor in the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller\u201d sued Individuals allegedly involved in the January 6 riots.<\/li>\n<li>In 2022, retired Paul Weiss partner Mark Pomerantz oversaw an investigation into Trump\u2019s finances as a member of the Manhattan District Attorney\u2019s office. (Trump said he joined the D.A. \u201csolely to manufacture a prosecution against me\u201d).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>What\u2019s curious is that Trump attacks Pomerantz by name but doesn\u2019t bother to name \u201cthe former leading prosecutor\u201d who brought the January 6 suit, though her identity is well-known. It\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.paulweiss.com\/professionals\/partners-and-counsel\/jeannie-s-rhee\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jeannie Rhee<\/a>, a high-profile litigator who served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General during the Obama administration. (Query: Are Asians so invisible that they don\u2019t even merit mention?)<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s no question that Trump is inching toward authoritarianism with these executive orders (among other crazy measures, he banned all employees of Perkins and Paul Weiss, who number in the thousands, from entering federal buildings, including the courts).<\/p>\n<p>But in this latest order targeting Paul Weiss, he went further: declaring war against Biglaw writ large. The first sentence of the order declares Biglthe enemy: \u201cGlobal law firms have for years played an outsized role in undermining the judicial process and in the destruction of bedrock American principles.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s more, Trump takes aim at Biglaw pro bono, which, he claims, is \u201cpotentially depriving those who cannot otherwise afford the benefit of top legal talent the access to justice deserved by all.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>NONE OF THIS MAKES SENSE, of course. How are \u201cglobal\u201d law firms (v. \u201cAmerican\u201d law firms?) destroying the judicial process or American principles? And who is being deprived of \u201ctop legal talent\u201d by Biglaw pro bono? Neo-Nazis? The January 6\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2025\/mar\/18\/senate-florida-january-6-rioter-jake-lang\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">insurrectionist now running for the Senate<\/a>?<\/p>\n<p>The point is that Trump is gunning for Biglaw and casting a wide net. In fact, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is joining that effort, announcing that\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/us-civil-rights-agency-warns-law-firms-over-workplace-dei-policies-2025-03-17\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">20 law firms<\/a>\u00a0are now being investigated for discrimination based on \u2014 what else? \u2014their support of diversity, equity, and inclusion.<\/p>\n<p>Trump\u2019s attack on Biglaw is both outrageous and absurd. If the threat to the integrity of the legal system weren\u2019t so real, it\u2019d make a farce worthy of Moli\u00e8re. It\u2019s almost funny to imagine Paul Weiss partner and legal luminary\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.paulweiss.com\/professionals\/partners-and-counsel\/kannon-k-shanmugam\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kannon Shanmugam<\/a>, who\u2019s argued almost 40 times before the Supreme Court, being physically barred from entering the hallowed halls of the high court.<\/p>\n<p>So here\u2019s my question: has the moment arrived when members of the exclusive Biglaw club will band together to defy Trump? Is this the tipping point?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not sure this is the tipping point,\u201d says a partner at a major firm. \u201cMy fear is that [the Paul Weiss order] might make people more scared. Trump has been brilliant in showing that he will not be deterred.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I GOT CRITICIZED by several former and current partners in management roles for\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/viviachen.substack.com\/p\/we-should-be-ashamed-big-laws-silence\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">urging Biglaw<\/a>\u00a0to present a united front against Trump. \u201cExactly what mind is that designed to change?\u201d asked a former Biglaw managing partner. \u201cDonald Trump\u2019s? Seems unlikely to work.\u201d Others told me statements of protests would be \u201cmeaningless,\u201d \u201cnaive\u201d or \u201cvirtue signaling.\u201d Another snipped, \u201cyou obviously have not managed a business or much of anything and be responsible for hundreds of people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>True that. But even if it boils down to \u201cvirtue signaling,\u201d isn\u2019t there merit for standing up for what\u2019s right? As we know, Biglaw has not been shy in the past voicing support for social justice and other political issues, and now that it\u2019s faced with an existential threat to its own independence, it\u2019s saying nothing?<\/p>\n<p>The cynical side of me wonders if some firms are quietly salivating the prospect of picking up clients and rainmakers from firms on Trump\u2019s blacklist. Vultures in wait. That might strike you as ghoulish but we all know how ruthlessly competitive Biglaw has become.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGeez, that\u2019s just too depressing to think about,\u201d a partner at a top firm tells me. \u201cBut maybe that\u2019s what the profession has become, where it\u2019s all about profits and your position in the AmLaw 100.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A former Biglaw partner was a bit more sanguine \u2013 if that\u2019s the word: \u201cI surmise the silence reflects impotence and terror more than competitive advantage seeking. So many firms could be next if the witch hunt continues.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>NO KIDDING. I don\u2019t think anyone believes Paul Weiss will be the last firm to be slapped with Trump\u2019s executive order. Which brings me back to my original point: Haven\u2019t we reached the now or never juncture?<\/p>\n<p>Forgive me if I\u2019m repeating myself, but I\u2019m incredulous that the mightiest law firms in the land can be this feckless. Can they sit on the sidelines and watch a member of their brethren be destroyed?<\/p>\n<p>In its\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.prod.website-files.com\/67cf71f1f27ef68a8f5c5c70\/67d098cae5905f455b133083_PerkinsCoieFiling1.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">complaint<\/a>\u00a0suing the DOJ, Seattle-based Perkins Coie states that it has already lost major clients as a result of Trump\u2019s executive order. (Judge Beryl Howell issued a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.prod.website-files.com\/67cf71f1f27ef68a8f5c5c70\/67d2110e1824e7c8e727e86c_Order%20Granting%20Plaintiff%27s%20Motion%20for%20TRO.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">TRO<\/a>\u00a0that blocked parts of the order.) As a Washington D.C.-based firm with a significant regulatory practice, Covington\u2019s economic loss could be even worse.<\/p>\n<p>And Paul Weiss? \u201cThe EO could be life threatening,\u201d a person familiar with the firm tells me. \u201cNot being able to do business with companies that have contracts with the government is terrifying.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also terrifying that what Paul Weiss has built might be destroyed by a stroke of Trump\u2019s pen. A storied litigation firm known for its early support of women and minorities (it elevated a woman to partnership in 1946 and hired a Black associate in 1949), it has emerged as a major player in the corporate sector in recent years by hiring star transactional lawyers. It\u2019s also immensely profitable with $7.5 million in profits per equity partner. All this took years of strategic planning and hard work. But then came the wrath of Trump.<\/p>\n<p>I can\u2019t help but think of that old Yiddish saying: \u201cMan makes plans, and God laughs.\u201d Except this time God takes the shape of the Orange Monster.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m now hearing from multiple sources that Biglaw is on the verge of some sort of action, that the EEOC\u2019s targeting of those 20 firms is a catalyst. \u201cFirm leaders haven\u2019t seen the threat to the rule of law and our democracy as being as pressing, although that seems to be entering into their thinking more and more each day.\u201d One industry insider tells me. \u201cI would say the situation is fluid and we may be approaching a tipping point.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cApproaching a tipping point?\u201d Seriously?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/viviachen.substack.com\/p\/does-usha-vance-deserve-our-sympathy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><em>Subscribe to read more at The Ex-Careerist\u2026.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n<p><strong><em>Vivia Chen\u00a0writes\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/viviachen.substack.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">\u201cThe Ex-Careerist\u201d<\/a>\u00a0column on Substack where she unleashes her unvarnished views about the intersection of work, life, and politics. A former lawyer, she was an opinion columnist at Bloomberg Law and The American Lawyer. Subscribe to her Substack by clicking here:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/viviachen.substack.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"286\" height=\"72\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/abovethelaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/02\/Vivia-Chen-Ex-Careerist.png?resize=286%2C72&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1152282\" title=\"\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/2025\/03\/is-paul-weiss-the-tipping-point-for-biglaw\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Is Paul Weiss The Tipping Point For Biglaw?<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" height=\"456\" width=\"620\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/abovethelaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/07\/bar-exam-lawyer-attorney-scales-of-justice-620x456.jpg?resize=620%2C456&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em><u>Ed. note<\/u>: Please welcome Vivia Chen back to the pages of Above the Law. Subscribe to her Substack, \u201cThe Ex-Careerist,\u201d<a href=\"https:\/\/viviachen.substack.com\/p\/does-usha-vance-deserve-our-sympathy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>THE NUMBER \u201c3\u201d has always struck me as talismanic. That\u2019s the number of wishes you get from the genie. It\u2019s the holy trinity. And, of course, three strikes, you\u2019re out.<\/p>\n<p>So when Donald Trump fired off his latest retaliatory executive order against a third major law firm \u2013 this time, the powerhouse firm of Paul Weiss \u2013 it felt like an inflection point.<\/p>\n<p>Like the two previous executive orders he issued against\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/02\/suspension-of-security-clearances-and-evaluation-of-government-contracts\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Covington &amp; Burling<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/03\/addressing-risks-from-perkins-coie-llp\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Perkins Coie<\/a>, Trump barely bothered to wear a legal fig leaf for his action, except to cite personal grievances. His two specific gripes against Paul Weiss are:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In 2021, \u201ca Paul Weiss partner and former leading prosecutor in the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller\u201d sued Individuals allegedly involved in the January 6 riots.<\/li>\n<li>In 2022, retired Paul Weiss partner Mark Pomerantz oversaw an investigation into Trump\u2019s finances as a member of the Manhattan District Attorney\u2019s office. (Trump said he joined the D.A. \u201csolely to manufacture a prosecution against me\u201d).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>What\u2019s curious is that Trump attacks Pomerantz by name but doesn\u2019t bother to name \u201cthe former leading prosecutor\u201d who brought the January 6 suit, though her identity is well-known. It\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.paulweiss.com\/professionals\/partners-and-counsel\/jeannie-s-rhee\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jeannie Rhee<\/a>, a high-profile litigator who served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General during the Obama administration. (Query: Are Asians so invisible that they don\u2019t even merit mention?)<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s no question that Trump is inching toward authoritarianism with these executive orders (among other crazy measures, he banned all employees of Perkins and Paul Weiss, who number in the thousands, from entering federal buildings, including the courts).<\/p>\n<p>But in this latest order targeting Paul Weiss, he went further: declaring war against Biglaw writ large. The first sentence of the order declares Biglthe enemy: \u201cGlobal law firms have for years played an outsized role in undermining the judicial process and in the destruction of bedrock American principles.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s more, Trump takes aim at Biglaw pro bono, which, he claims, is \u201cpotentially depriving those who cannot otherwise afford the benefit of top legal talent the access to justice deserved by all.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>NONE OF THIS MAKES SENSE, of course. How are \u201cglobal\u201d law firms (v. \u201cAmerican\u201d law firms?) destroying the judicial process or American principles? And who is being deprived of \u201ctop legal talent\u201d by Biglaw pro bono? Neo-Nazis? The January 6\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2025\/mar\/18\/senate-florida-january-6-rioter-jake-lang\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">insurrectionist now running for the Senate<\/a>?<\/p>\n<p>The point is that Trump is gunning for Biglaw and casting a wide net. In fact, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is joining that effort, announcing that\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/us-civil-rights-agency-warns-law-firms-over-workplace-dei-policies-2025-03-17\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">20 law firms<\/a>\u00a0are now being investigated for discrimination based on \u2014 what else? \u2014their support of diversity, equity, and inclusion.<\/p>\n<p>Trump\u2019s attack on Biglaw is both outrageous and absurd. If the threat to the integrity of the legal system weren\u2019t so real, it\u2019d make a farce worthy of Moli\u00e8re. It\u2019s almost funny to imagine Paul Weiss partner and legal luminary\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.paulweiss.com\/professionals\/partners-and-counsel\/kannon-k-shanmugam\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kannon Shanmugam<\/a>, who\u2019s argued almost 40 times before the Supreme Court, being physically barred from entering the hallowed halls of the high court.<\/p>\n<p>So here\u2019s my question: has the moment arrived when members of the exclusive Biglaw club will band together to defy Trump? Is this the tipping point?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not sure this is the tipping point,\u201d says a partner at a major firm. \u201cMy fear is that [the Paul Weiss order] might make people more scared. Trump has been brilliant in showing that he will not be deterred.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I GOT CRITICIZED by several former and current partners in management roles for\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/viviachen.substack.com\/p\/we-should-be-ashamed-big-laws-silence\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">urging Biglaw<\/a>\u00a0to present a united front against Trump. \u201cExactly what mind is that designed to change?\u201d asked a former Biglaw managing partner. \u201cDonald Trump\u2019s? Seems unlikely to work.\u201d Others told me statements of protests would be \u201cmeaningless,\u201d \u201cnaive\u201d or \u201cvirtue signaling.\u201d Another snipped, \u201cyou obviously have not managed a business or much of anything and be responsible for hundreds of people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>True that. But even if it boils down to \u201cvirtue signaling,\u201d isn\u2019t there merit for standing up for what\u2019s right? As we know, Biglaw has not been shy in the past voicing support for social justice and other political issues, and now that it\u2019s faced with an existential threat to its own independence, it\u2019s saying nothing?<\/p>\n<p>The cynical side of me wonders if some firms are quietly salivating the prospect of picking up clients and rainmakers from firms on Trump\u2019s blacklist. Vultures in wait. That might strike you as ghoulish but we all know how ruthlessly competitive Biglaw has become.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGeez, that\u2019s just too depressing to think about,\u201d a partner at a top firm tells me. \u201cBut maybe that\u2019s what the profession has become, where it\u2019s all about profits and your position in the AmLaw 100.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A former Biglaw partner was a bit more sanguine \u2013 if that\u2019s the word: \u201cI surmise the silence reflects impotence and terror more than competitive advantage seeking. So many firms could be next if the witch hunt continues.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>NO KIDDING. I don\u2019t think anyone believes Paul Weiss will be the last firm to be slapped with Trump\u2019s executive order. Which brings me back to my original point: Haven\u2019t we reached the now or never juncture?<\/p>\n<p>Forgive me if I\u2019m repeating myself, but I\u2019m incredulous that the mightiest law firms in the land can be this feckless. Can they sit on the sidelines and watch a member of their brethren be destroyed?<\/p>\n<p>In its\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.prod.website-files.com\/67cf71f1f27ef68a8f5c5c70\/67d098cae5905f455b133083_PerkinsCoieFiling1.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">complaint<\/a>\u00a0suing the DOJ, Seattle-based Perkins Coie states that it has already lost major clients as a result of Trump\u2019s executive order. (Judge Beryl Howell issued a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.prod.website-files.com\/67cf71f1f27ef68a8f5c5c70\/67d2110e1824e7c8e727e86c_Order%20Granting%20Plaintiff%27s%20Motion%20for%20TRO.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">TRO<\/a>\u00a0that blocked parts of the order.) As a Washington D.C.-based firm with a significant regulatory practice, Covington\u2019s economic loss could be even worse.<\/p>\n<p>And Paul Weiss? \u201cThe EO could be life threatening,\u201d a person familiar with the firm tells me. \u201cNot being able to do business with companies that have contracts with the government is terrifying.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also terrifying that what Paul Weiss has built might be destroyed by a stroke of Trump\u2019s pen. A storied litigation firm known for its early support of women and minorities (it elevated a woman to partnership in 1946 and hired a Black associate in 1949), it has emerged as a major player in the corporate sector in recent years by hiring star transactional lawyers. It\u2019s also immensely profitable with $7.5 million in profits per equity partner. All this took years of strategic planning and hard work. But then came the wrath of Trump.<\/p>\n<p>I can\u2019t help but think of that old Yiddish saying: \u201cMan makes plans, and God laughs.\u201d Except this time God takes the shape of the Orange Monster.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m now hearing from multiple sources that Biglaw is on the verge of some sort of action, that the EEOC\u2019s targeting of those 20 firms is a catalyst. \u201cFirm leaders haven\u2019t seen the threat to the rule of law and our democracy as being as pressing, although that seems to be entering into their thinking more and more each day.\u201d One industry insider tells me. \u201cI would say the situation is fluid and we may be approaching a tipping point.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cApproaching a tipping point?\u201d Seriously?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/viviachen.substack.com\/p\/does-usha-vance-deserve-our-sympathy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><em>Subscribe to read more at The Ex-Careerist\u2026.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n<p><strong><em>Vivia Chen\u00a0writes\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/viviachen.substack.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">\u201cThe Ex-Careerist\u201d<\/a>\u00a0column on Substack where she unleashes her unvarnished views about the intersection of work, life, and politics. A former lawyer, she was an opinion columnist at Bloomberg Law and The American Lawyer. Subscribe to her Substack by clicking here:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/viviachen.substack.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"286\" height=\"72\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/abovethelaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/02\/Vivia-Chen-Ex-Careerist.png?resize=286%2C72&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1152282\" title=\"\"><\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ed. note: Please welcome Vivia Chen back to the pages of Above the Law. Subscribe to her Substack, \u201cThe Ex-Careerist,\u201d\u00a0here. THE NUMBER \u201c3\u201d has always struck me as talismanic. That\u2019s the number of wishes you get from the genie. It\u2019s the holy trinity. And, of course, three strikes, you\u2019re out. So when Donald Trump fired [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":111006,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-111020","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/xira.com\/p\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Vivia-Chen-Ex-Careerist-KflVpa.png?fit=286%2C72&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111020","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111020"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111020\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/111006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111020"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111020"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111020"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}