Apparently this Biglaw firm doesn’t think there’s a stigma to being associated with President-elect Trump. There’s a party planned in the K&L Gates D.C. office to celebrate the inauguration of the Antichrist our reality TV star in chief, Donald Trump.

The fête features a bizarre mélange of bold names that you’re pretty sure you’ve heard of before but just can’t place. A handful of aging sports stars, a few legal personalities and, of course, Omarosa will be there. The party is being thrown by NFL Hall of Famer Jim Brown’s charitable organization, and the names you should recognize include Ray Lewis, Bobby Knight, Eddie DeBartolo, Trump’s attorney Michael Cohen, and Kimberly Guilfoyle (very heavy on members of the National Diversity Coalition for Trump). And there’ll be fireworks.



Any time a firm takes a public stance on controversial issues, you have to wonder about the potential fallout to recruiting. We know that lawyers generally tilt towards the left, and outspoken conservative partners have, at times, been met with concern in the past. Given the volatile political climate — hipster fav New Balance dealt with calls to boycott the Massachusetts made brand for agreeing with Trump’s stance on trade — there may well be recruiting backlash. If you’re a highly sought-after law student with moderate to liberal political sensibilities, do you really want to go to a Trump firm? (See also Jones Day and Kasowitz Benson.)

It remains to be seen if, given the changing political landscape, law students will care about a firm’s politics. But it still seems like a bold move for a mediocre mid-afternoon party.

Kathryn Rubino is an editor at Above the Law. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).