New York bill targets free legal work pledged to Trump
May 16 (Reuters) - Democratic New York state lawmakers have introduced legislation that would bar law firms in the state from requiring employees to do free legal work performed as part of an agreement the firm made with the Trump administration.
The proposed bill would also prohibit such work from counting toward New York's pro bono requirements for lawyers to practice law in the state.
New York State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblymember Micah Lasher in a Friday statement said the measure is "in response to President Trump's coercive and unlawful extortion of private law firms," leading to agreements between some firms and the White House.
Nine major firms have reached deals with President Donald Trump to devote a total of $940 million in pro bono legal work to causes the administration favors, such as supporting veterans or combating antisemitism. Many of them have defended the deals as necessary to protect their business from executive orders or from a probe of their hiring practices.
The agreements came after Trump issued orders penalizing prominent firms he accused of "weaponizing" the legal system against him and his allies. Four law firms are suing the administration over the orders against them.
New lawyers applying for admission to the New York bar are required to complete at least 50 hours of pro bono work, and lawyers must report their pro bono hours when they file to renew their membership to the state bar, the lawmakers said.
The new legislation, if passed, would exempt any pro bono hours stemming from an agreement between a firm and the federal government "under which the federal government specifies the recipient or recipients or type or types or nature of such legal services," according to the current text of the measure.
"This disgraceful discrimination undermines the very pro-bono initiatives President Trump has championed to ensure justice for all," White House spokesman Harrison Fields said in a statement.
Fields said the bill would restrict affordable legal representation for New Yorkers "simply for being veterans or Jewish." The proposed bill does not say lawyers cannot receive pro bono credit for specific types of cases unless they are undertaken "pursuant" to Trump's law firm deals.
The legislation is expected to be considered by the state Senate Judiciary Committee next week, according to Hoylman-Sigal, who said it is expected to be approved.
A spokesperson for New York Governor Kathy Hochul said her office does not comment on pending legislation.
Law firms that have struck deals with the Trump administration have faced criticism over the agreements from lawyers, Democratic U.S. lawmakers and others, in part due to the pro bono pledges.
Trump last month directed the U.S. Justice Department to mobilize law firms to defend police officers unjustly accused of misconduct free of charge.
The president has also made repeated comments about "using" the firms that settled with him for particular projects, including working on trade deals. Neither the administration nor the law firms have so far disclosed any pro bono assignments stemming from the agreements.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
14 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Man mistakenly deported to El Salvador brought back to US to face charges
His abrupt release from El Salvador is the latest twist in a saga that sparked a months-long standoff between Trump administration officials and the courts over a deportation that officials initially acknowledged was done in error but then continued to stand behind in apparent defiance of orders by judges to facilitate his return to the US. The development occurred after US officials presented El Salvador President Nayib Bukele with an arrest warrant for federal charges in Tennessee accusing Abrego Garcia of playing a key role in smuggling immigrants into the country for money. He is expected to be prosecuted in the US and, if convicted, will be returned to his home country of El Salvador at the conclusion of the case, officials said. 'This is what American justice looks like,' US attorney general Pam Bondi said in announcing Abrego Garcia's return and the unsealing of a grand jury indictment. Abrego Garcia's lawyers called the case 'baseless'. 'There's no way a jury is going to see the evidence and agree that this sheet metal worker is the leader of an international MS-13 smuggling conspiracy,' lawyer Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg said. Federal magistrate judge Barbara Holmes in Nashville, Tennessee, determined that Abrego Garcia will be held in custody until at least next Friday, when there will be an arraignment and detention hearing. The indictment of Kilmar Abrego Garcia that charges him with transporting people who were in the United States illegally (AP Photo/Jon Elswick) Abrego Garcia appeared in court wearing a short-sleeved, white, buttoned shirt. When asked if he understood the charges, he told the judge through an interpreter: 'Yes. I understand.' Democrats and immigrant rights groups had pressed for Abrego Garcia's release, with several politicians – including senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, where Abrego Garcia had lived for years – even travelling to El Salvador to visit him. A federal judge had ordered him to be returned in April and the US Supreme Court rejected an emergency appeal by directing the government to work to bring him back. But the news that Abrego Garcia, who had an immigration court order preventing his deportation to his native country over fears he would face persecution from local gangs, was being brought back for the purpose of prosecution was greeted with dismay by his lawyers. The case also prompted the resignation of a top supervisor in the US attorney's office in Nashville, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a personnel matter. Ben Schrader, who was chief of the office's criminal division, did not explain the reason for his resignation but posted to social media around the time the indictment was being handed down, saying: 'It has been an incredible privilege to serve as a prosecutor with the Department of Justice, where the only job description I've ever known is to do the right thing, in the right way, for the right reasons.' He declined to comment when reached by The Associated Press on Friday.
Daily Mail
26 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Tesla shares rebound slightly after $150bn wipe-out triggered by Musk's spat with Trump
Tesla shares were sent into freefall on Thursday after Elon Musk sounded off about Donald Trump and his policies on social media this week. The debacle saw roughly $150billion wiped from Tesla's market value in one of the worst days in months. While the electric car maker's share price tumbled 14 per cent on Thursday, it rebounded slightly on Friday following some indications tempers were cooling between the duo. Earlier this week, Trump threatened to cut off government contracts to Musk's businesses, including rocket firm SpaceX, which has contracts worth tens of billions of dollars with the US government. In response, Musk fired back and said: 'Go ahead, make my day.' The saga seemed to quieten somewhat on Friday as Musk broke his silence by agreeing with an X post that claimed he never attacked Trump personally. The initial feud was ignited over Musk's opposition to Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill', before he launched into a series of attacks on the president and alleged he was 'in the Epstein files. Trump quickly branded Musk 'crazy' and said he has 'lost his mind'. The president also moved to sell his Tesla that he bought from Musk when their relationship was rosier in March, in a parting insult after saying he ousted Musk from his White House. US subsidies and contracts at Federal and state level are worth billions to Tesla, which also currently benefits from a $7,500 tax credit available for electric vehicle purchases. Tesla shares closed at $295.14 this week, down around 14 per cent on less than a week ago and down nearly a quarter on where they were six months ago. But the shares are still around 66 higher than they were a year ago. Tesla shares rose more than 60 per cent between the start of November when Trump was elected to the end of 2024. But investor pressure over Musk's controversial role in the White House ultimately led to him to stepping down from his unofficial 'DOGE' department, which had sparked protests and vandalism directed at Tesla. Tesla shares were on a run more recently, however, after Musk confirmed the group would be testing an autonomous, driverless 'robotaxi' service in Austin, Texas, this month. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said this week: 'Tesla shareholders are stuck in the middle of the battle zone as whatever happens to Musk will act as a proxy for the car company's share price. 'Trump has signalled he could terminate US government contracts with Musk's companies, causing Tesla's share price to crash 14 per cent in a day.' He added: 'Musk's outspokenness is becoming a liability for Tesla shareholders. 'He recently pledged to stay on as CEO for at least another five years, but if he cannot be restrained from stoking fires on the public stage, Tesla's board might have to think long and hard about his future with the business.' Neil Wilson, UK investor strategist at Saxo Markets, said on Friday: 'I spoke almost a year ago to Mark Spiegel of Stanphyl Capital in New York. 'He said it was just a matter of time before Musk and Trump fell out – the only question was who would shaft who first but his view was that sooner or later everyone "gets Musked". 'An ugly, name-calling, chest-thumping public brawl on Twitter between the richest guy in the world and the most powerful guy in the world – it's what the platform was made for. 'It's also whacked Tesla stock as bulls need to reassess their upside case for the carmaker. 'Both probably realise that this is doing each of them a lot of harm – Musk could lose billions of dollars in government contracts and tax credits, while Trump could see his 'big beautiful bill' fail to pass.'
Evening Standard
31 minutes ago
- Evening Standard
Trump announces US-China trade talks in London next week
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Mr Trump said Mr Xi had agreed to restart exports of rare earth minerals and magnets to the US which China had slowed, threatening a range of manufacturers that relied on the critical materials.
