{"id":118360,"date":"2025-05-08T13:59:14","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T21:59:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/05\/08\/dc-bar-election-seems-to-be-tracking-canada-australia-papacy\/"},"modified":"2025-05-08T13:59:14","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T21:59:14","slug":"dc-bar-election-seems-to-be-tracking-canada-australia-papacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/05\/08\/dc-bar-election-seems-to-be-tracking-canada-australia-papacy\/","title":{"rendered":"DC Bar Election Seems To Be Tracking Canada, Australia\u2026 Papacy"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
(Photo by Justin Sullivan\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Over the last month, the surest path to electoral success is mercilessly dunking on the Trump administration. Canada\u2019s Liberals were getting whipped like it was macaron challenge week on Bake Off before Trump started calling them the 51st state. The Australian Labor Party were also down before they positioned themselves against \u201cMake Australia Great Again\u201d copycats. Now the Vatican elected a dark horse Pope after he called out JD Vance on Twitter<\/a>. <\/p>\n

If you want to win an election in 2025, you need to get as far away from the White House as possible.<\/p>\n

It seems that this trend could continue in the DC Bar leadership race.<\/p>\n

Turnout is through the roof and it\u2019s hard to separate that from the candidates in the race. In any normal year, a Paul Hastings partner running on a platform of CLE reform wouldn\u2019t raise any eyebrows, but this isn\u2019t a normal year. But Pam Bondi currently serves as the managing partner of Trump\u2019s personal law firm<\/a> and her brother Brad finds himself in the same boat as all the other candidates around the world facing the headwinds of Hurricane Donald. <\/p>\n

We won\u2019t know the results until next month, but extraordinarily high turnout doesn\u2019t bode well for Bondi. The campaign hasn\u2019t helped either: at a recent candidate meet-and-greet, Bondi sent an associate in his stead \u2014 wonder what the billing code is for that? \u2014 because he was tied up with a client meeting. At a subsequent candidate forum that he could attend, Bondi seemed to air his frustration over the role his sister\u2019s job is having on the race<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cHer allies are spreading irresponsible fabrications claiming I\u2019m conspiring with political forces because of my older sister\u2019s role as the attorney general \u2014 things that are as baseless as they are beneath the dignity of our bar,\u201d said Bondi, who is global co-chair of the investigations and white collar defense practice at Paul Hastings.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

As we wrote early in this campaign<\/a>, the idea of a conspiracy seemed far-fetched. The president of the DC Bar doesn\u2019t have the authority to suspend due process via executive order. Neither does the president of the US for that matter\u2026 not that Bondi\u2019s sister seems to know that. The role Brad Bondi seeks is relatively insulated from much risk of mischief. <\/p>\n

But that\u2019s not really the point. To go back to our prior article, \u201cbar associations perform valuable pro bono and professional development services in areas that the Trump administration actively\u00a0attacks other bar associations<\/a>\u00a0for championing\u201d and \u201cthis doesn\u2019t feel like the moment to turn over the District\u2019s lawyer association to candidates with deep personal and professional ties to an administration already blowing past historical guardrails.\u201d Bar associations have to stand up for their pro bono work and their diversity work and their fellow bar associations and law firms fighting for the rule of law. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s not so much about a conspiracy as it\u2019s about optics and symbolism. The bar shouldn\u2019t have a president right now that anyone can even think<\/em> has a conflict when it comes to speaking out against this administration. If Bondi\u2019s campaign centered on I\u2019ve been a pest to my sister my whole life and I promise to be one now<\/em> then he might be able to turn those optics to his advantage. But when he\u2019s running on a Pam who? <\/em>platform, it\u2019s both unpersuasive and simply does not meet the moment.<\/p>\n

And that sucks for him, but sometimes we can\u2019t get what we want because of forces beyond our control. The fact that he doesn\u2019t seem to grasp that, based on those forum remarks, evinces the brand of unchecked privilege that can run casually rampant among lawyers. When you\u2019ve lived a life of working hard and getting all the accolades for it, it\u2019s easy to convince yourself that\u2019s all it takes. <\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not and part of being a leader of the bar might be understanding when the best way to lend a hand is to get out of the way until 2028\u2026 or whenever Trump finally leaves.<\/p>\n

Earlier<\/strong>: Pam Bondi\u2019s Brother And Ed Martin\u2019s Assistant Running To Lead D.C. Bar\u2026 No Way This Is A Bad Idea!<\/a><\/p>\n

The post DC Bar Election Seems To Be Tracking Canada, Australia\u2026 Papacy<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
(Photo by Justin Sullivan\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Over the last month, the surest path to electoral success is mercilessly dunking on the Trump administration. Canada\u2019s Liberals were getting whipped like it was macaron challenge week on Bake Off before Trump started calling them the 51st state. The Australian Labor Party were also down before they positioned themselves against \u201cMake Australia Great Again\u201d copycats. Now the Vatican elected a dark horse Pope after he called out JD Vance on Twitter<\/a>. <\/p>\n

If you want to win an election in 2025, you need to get as far away from the White House as possible.<\/p>\n

It seems that this trend could continue in the DC Bar leadership race.<\/p>\n

Turnout is through the roof and it\u2019s hard to separate that from the candidates in the race. In any normal year, a Paul Hastings partner running on a platform of CLE reform wouldn\u2019t raise any eyebrows, but this isn\u2019t a normal year. But Pam Bondi currently serves as the managing partner of Trump\u2019s personal law firm<\/a> and her brother Brad finds himself in the same boat as all the other candidates around the world facing the headwinds of Hurricane Donald. <\/p>\n

We won\u2019t know the results until next month, but extraordinarily high turnout doesn\u2019t bode well for Bondi. The campaign hasn\u2019t helped either: at a recent candidate meet-and-greet, Bondi sent an associate in his stead \u2014 wonder what the billing code is for that? \u2014 because he was tied up with a client meeting. At a subsequent candidate forum that he could attend, Bondi seemed to air his frustration over the role his sister\u2019s job is having on the race<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cHer allies are spreading irresponsible fabrications claiming I\u2019m conspiring with political forces because of my older sister\u2019s role as the attorney general \u2014 things that are as baseless as they are beneath the dignity of our bar,\u201d said Bondi, who is global co-chair of the investigations and white collar defense practice at Paul Hastings.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

As we wrote early in this campaign<\/a>, the idea of a conspiracy seemed far-fetched. The president of the DC Bar doesn\u2019t have the authority to suspend due process via executive order. Neither does the president of the US for that matter\u2026 not that Bondi\u2019s sister seems to know that. The role Brad Bondi seeks is relatively insulated from much risk of mischief. <\/p>\n

But that\u2019s not really the point. To go back to our prior article, \u201cbar associations perform valuable pro bono and professional development services in areas that the Trump administration actively\u00a0attacks other bar associations<\/a>\u00a0for championing\u201d and \u201cthis doesn\u2019t feel like the moment to turn over the District\u2019s lawyer association to candidates with deep personal and professional ties to an administration already blowing past historical guardrails.\u201d Bar associations have to stand up for their pro bono work and their diversity work and their fellow bar associations and law firms fighting for the rule of law. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s not so much about a conspiracy as it\u2019s about optics and symbolism. The bar shouldn\u2019t have a president right now that anyone can even think<\/em> has a conflict when it comes to speaking out against this administration. If Bondi\u2019s campaign centered on I\u2019ve been a pest to my sister my whole life and I promise to be one now<\/em> then he might be able to turn those optics to his advantage. But when he\u2019s running on a Pam who? <\/em>platform, it\u2019s both unpersuasive and simply does not meet the moment.<\/p>\n

And that sucks for him, but sometimes we can\u2019t get what we want because of forces beyond our control. The fact that he doesn\u2019t seem to grasp that, based on those forum remarks, evinces the brand of unchecked privilege that can run casually rampant among lawyers. When you\u2019ve lived a life of working hard and getting all the accolades for it, it\u2019s easy to convince yourself that\u2019s all it takes. <\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not and part of being a leader of the bar might be understanding when the best way to lend a hand is to get out of the way until 2028\u2026 or whenever Trump finally leaves.<\/p>\n

Earlier<\/strong>: Pam Bondi\u2019s Brother And Ed Martin\u2019s Assistant Running To Lead D.C. Bar\u2026 No Way This Is A Bad Idea!<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Photo by Justin Sullivan\/Getty Images) Over the last month, the surest path to electoral success is mercilessly dunking on the Trump administration. Canada\u2019s Liberals were getting whipped like it was macaron challenge week on Bake Off before Trump started calling them the 51st state. The Australian Labor Party were also down before they positioned themselves […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":118361,"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-118360","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\/05\/capitol-QdT6Mz.jpeg?fit=594%2C396&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118360","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=118360"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118360\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/118361"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=118360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=118360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=118360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}