Group formed by Heritage Foundation asks BigLaw firms to provide pro bono help
A group that was “a major antagonist of the Biden administration” is citing President Donald Trump’s executive orders targeting major law firms in a letter seeking their pro bono assistance, according to Bloomberg Law. (Image from Shutterstock)
A group that was “a major antagonist of the Biden administration” is citing President Donald Trump's executive orders targeting major law firms in a letter seeking their pro bono assistance, according to Bloomberg Law.
The Oversight Project, which was created by the Heritage Foundation—a conservative think tank—in 2022 and separated from the organization Monday, is asking the firms to provide at least $10 million in pro bono legal help on matters such as “challenges to regulatory and state overreach and defense against partisan lawfare,” the article reports.
Trump began issuing a series of executive orders in February that target firms with ties to people and matters adverse to Trump. The orders typically call for suspension of lawyers’ security clearances and reassessment of government contracts with clients who use firm services in connection with the contracts.
To avoid such actions, four firms have reached agreements in which they pledge to donate pro bono services to causes supported by the firm and Trump.
The letter by Mike Howell, the executive director of the Oversight Project, said the executive orders targeted firms said to be involved in the “weaponization of the legal system.”
“In light of these important developments, we request that your firm join us in helping return the legal industry to normalcy where firms once again represent clients of all ideological backgrounds,” according to the letter obtained by Bloomberg Law.
The letter suggested that the work should be provided to the Oversight Project and its “center-right” allies. In return, the letter said, “we are prepared to publicly acknowledge your firm’s contribution to restoring balance in the legal landscape.”
The Oversight Project recently separated from the Heritage Foundation, which founded the group in 2022, according to Bloomberg Law. The project filed more than 100,000 Freedom of Information Act requests and more than 100 lawsuits against the Biden administration.
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