The Lawyers Who Gave Up Millions to Fight Trump

What happens when elite lawyers abandon six-figure salaries to battle a president's assault on the legal system itself?

On this episode of the Tara Palmeri Show, Matthew Wollin, a former WilmerHale attorney whose glass-walled office once starred in Succession, left big law after five years to become a journalist. He joins Tara to unpack how Trump's February 2025 memo targeting Covington & Burling triggered a domino effect across the industry, with prestigious firms preemptively settling on constitutionally shaky ground rather than fight. They explore the paradox of "neutral" arbiters prioritizing profits over principle, the quiet revolt of young associates and law students boycotting capitulating firms, and the rise of rule-of-law startups like Lowell & Associates filling the void. From vague pro-bono deals for Trump's causes to chilling effects on anti-Trump representation, this conversation reveals institutional fragility echoing across media, tech, and academia.

Which profession will be the next to fold under political pressure, and how would you respond if your workplace demanded the same compromise?

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Tara Palmeri is one of the most feared and fearless reporters covering power and politics. She has 15 years of experience covering national politics and foreign affairs. She was formerly a White House Correspondent for ABC News where she covered the first Trump administration. She was the chief National Correspondent for POLITICO during the Biden administration. She has been a political analyst for CNBC, CBS and CNN. She started her career as a columnist for the Washington Examiner and then went on to report for the New York Post. She was a foreign correspondent for POLITICO Europe, where she covered international affairs, including Brexit. She hosted the Ringer's political podcast "Somebody's Gotta Win" and wrote a column for Puck. Tara also hosted two acclaimed podcasts on Jeffrey Epstein, "Broken: Jeffrey Epstein" and "Power: The Maxwells." Tara currently hosts the Tara Palmeri Show.

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