The Fall of (Big)law episode artwork

EPISODE · May 2, 2025 · 20 MIN

The Fall of (Big)law

from debrief · host Cece Xie

Why are the world's most powerful and wealthiest lawyers abandoning the rule of law? In this episode, I go over the chaos wrought by the Trump Administration on the legal profession and the cowardice I see from elite law firms--Paul Weiss, Skadden, Willkie Farr, Milbank, Cadwalader, Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins, A&O Shearman, and Simpson Thacher. I discuss how much money these firms actually make, how their leaders are weaponizing fear for their own greed (and fears), and what it means to live your values as a lawyer. Stay tuned until the end for concrete actions you can take to uphold the rule of law.VIDEO PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/Y1t7ytUojFgFULL ESSAY ON SUBSTACK: https://cecexie.substack.com/p/the-fall-of-biglaw☎️ chat with me about your firm & the executive orders/EEOC letter ➪ https://forms.gle/muvDuY7Fk4yizYPJ9 (or email me at hello[at]cecexie.com)LAW STUDENT TOOLKIT: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14CNZozCrjCTs_e06fSoldZYaReJPqNWe?usp=sharingLAW FIRM ASSOCIATE TOOLKIT: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Hy7Mo9xhUpsDFcBu5ujN3iY7Ehcaw8qcTIMESTAMPS0:00 - Intro03:20 - The Executive Orders Targeting Law Firms05:32 - Biglaw Money07:16 - A Masterclass in Fear-Mongering11:45 - Living Your Values15:51 - What You Can Do This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cecexie.substack.com/subscribe

NOW PLAYING

The Fall of (Big)law

0:00 20:11

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of debrief?

This episode is 20 minutes long.

When was this debrief episode published?

This episode was published on May 2, 2025.

What is this episode about?

Why are the world's most powerful and wealthiest lawyers abandoning the rule of law? In this episode, I go over the chaos wrought by the Trump Administration on the legal profession and the cowardice I see from elite law firms--Paul Weiss, Skadden,...

Can I download this debrief episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!