won’t
let
people
forget
either!’
(Photo
by
DON
EMMERT/AFP
via
Getty
Images)
Ed.
note:
Welcome
to
our
daily
feature,
Quote
of
the
Day.
[The
fact
that
this
topic
has
remained
in
the
news]
reminds
firms
that
if
they
settle,
people
will
not
forget
quickly.
I
am
guessing
that
the
firms
that
settled
never
anticipated
the
extent
of
the
blowback
or
how
long
the
settlements
would
continue
to
be
front-of-mind
for
many
people.
The
fact
that
the
settlements
happened
at
all
was
extraordinary.
The
amount
of
free
legal
work
that
was
extracted
was
extraordinary.
Every
time
there
is
a
new
development
that
seems
remotely
related
to
those
settlements,
some
people
become
incensed
all
over
again.
Those
settlements
never
should
have
happened.
—
Leslie
Levin,
a
legal
ethics
professor
at
the
University
of
Connecticut
School
of
Law,
in
comments
given
to
the
American
Lawyer,
on
the
lasting
impact
of
the
pro
bono
payola
deals
that
the
notorious
nine
Biglaw
firms
—
including Kirkland
&
Ellis; Latham
&
Watkins; Skadden; Simpson
Thacher; Paul
Weiss; Milbank; Willkie
Farr; A&O
Shearman;
and Cadwalader
—
signed
with
Donald
Trump
to
escape
or
get
out
from
under
odious
(and
unconstitutional)
executive
orders.
Staci
Zaretsky is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on Bluesky, X/Twitter,
and Threads, or
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn.