Major US law firms, mostly silent on abortion ruling, are going ‘forbidden’ According to Reuters
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Abortion rights protesters protested a day after the US Supreme Court ruled in the Dobbs v Women’s Health Organization abortion case, overturning the landmark abortion decision by Roe v Wade, in Washington, USA, June 25, 2022. REUT
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By Karen Sloan and Jacqueline Thomsen
(Reuters) – The largest US law firms did not take a public stance after the US Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade case on Friday, which differs from the approach of some firms. large has issued a statement about the closely watched abortion.
The Supreme Court’s March 6 decision Dobbs upheld the Republican-backed Mississippi law banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Many states are expected to further restrict or ban abortions following the ruling.
Reuters on Friday asked more than 30 U.S. law firms, including the 20 largest law firms in total, for their opinions on the Dobbs ruling and whether they will cover travel expenses for the attorney general. whether the employee wants an abortion or not.
The majority were unresponsive Saturday afternoon, and only two, Ropes & Gray and Morrison & Foerster, said they would implement such a travel policy.
Morrison & Foerster, with nearly 1,000 lawyers, was the only major firm to make a public statement on Saturday afternoon.
The company’s president, Larren Nashelsky, said Morrison & Foerster would “redouble our efforts to protect abortion and other reproductive rights.”
Dobbs’ decision has been expected since a draft opinion was leaked in May.
Several major US corporations, including The Walt Disney (NYSE:) Co and Meta Platforms said Friday they will cover travel expenses for employees who want to have an abortion.
Industry experts say law firms could speak out about Dobbs in the future if employees and clients push them to take a public stance. Currently, company leaders seem to be carefully weighing the advantages and disadvantages of commenting, including the potential to alienate customers, experts say.
“This is a tight opportunity for companies,” said Kent Zimmermann, a consultant at the law firm of the Zeughhauser Group. “They have diverse perspectives between their talent and their clients.”
Some companies have internally informed employees of this decision. Ropes & Gray President Julie Jones said in an internal memo seen by Reuters that the company will hold several community meetings to discuss the ruling and offer “comfort.”
“As leader of Ropes & Gray, I am concerned about the impact this decision will have on our community,” Jones wrote, acknowledging that her memo could cause ” offensive to sections of our community.”
A Ropes & Gray spokeswoman told Reuters on Friday that employees enrolled in the company’s health plan are eligible for financial assistance to travel out of state for abortions.
Another major US law firm, Steptoe & Johnson, offered its US workforce a day off on Friday, a spokesperson confirmed. A spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for further comment.
Despite the lack of public statements, several law firms have publicly signaled ahead of the ruling that they plan to offer free legal aid to women who want an abortion if Roe is exposed.
Both New York Attorney General Leticia James and San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu, with the San Francisco Bar Association, have convened professional initiatives that rely on law firm volunteers. Paul Weiss, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher and O’Melveny & Myers were the participants.
Paul Weiss Chairman Brad Karp called Dobbs’ decision a “heavy loss” in an internal message to the company on Friday provided to Reuters. Paul Weiss and O’Melveny, both representing the Jackson Women’s Health Foundation, who were questioned in the Dobbs case, have postponed commenting on the ruling to their co-consultant, the Center for Reproductive Rights.
The center said in a statement that the court had “reached a new low by stripping away – for the first time – constitutionally guaranteed individual liberties.”
Gibson Dunn did not respond to a request for comment.
Robert Kamins, a consultant with Vertex (NASDAQ:) Advisors that works with law firms, said firms would be “very cautious” about issuing a ruling soon.
“They have to make sure they are thinking about it,” he said. “What is the business impact? What is customer impact? What is the recruitment impact? There is a lot to think about.”
