Democrats are probing the actions of three law firms that signed deals with President Trump, asking why they are doing pro bono work for the Commerce Department.
Paul Weiss, Kirkland & Ellis, and Skadden Arps were among those that signed deals with the White House to do millions in pro bono work for causes favored by Trump as he threatened to cut off the firm’s access to federal contracts and buildings, and yank any security clearances held by their staff.
The Wednesday letter from Democratic Sens. Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), Adam Schiff (Calif.) and Rep. Jamie Raskin (Md.), is the latest effort to gain information on the scope of the deals following reporting the firms had been tasked with working on trade deals pushed by Trump.
“Paul Weiss’s work for the Commerce Department clearly falls outside of the scope of the deal you previously described—aiding veterans, combatting antiSemitism, and promoting fairness in the justice system—suggesting that the Administration’s coercion of your law firm may be ongoing and escalating,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to that firm.
Similar letters to Kirkland & Ellis noted the firm said it would provide free legal help “to a wide range of underserved populations” while Skadden also said it was “assisting veterans and other public servants … and combatting antisemitism.”
“Absent coercion from the Administration it is difficult to understand how [the firms] identified the Commerce Department—a government agency with 13 bureaus , a proposed $8.6 billion in Fiscal Year 2026 discretionary funding—as eligible for pro bono services,” the lawmakers wrote.
None of the firms immediately responded to The Hill’s requests for comment.
The lawmakers asked for a breakdown of all firm commitments to the Commerce Department, the number of pro bono hours worked, and whether any retainer agreements were signed with the department.
The request comes as the firms previously told the lawmakers they had no written agreement with the White House — an unusual arrangement for a field that typically insists on contracts.
The three law firms — which signed deals for $40 million, $125 million and $100 million — were among nine law firms who agreed to offer a collective billion dollars in free legal work amid Trump’s threats.
Law firms often provide services to the government at a reduced rate, but pro bono work is typically done for those unable to afford attorneys, as well as for non-profits championing favored causes.
In the first Trump administration, numerous law firms provided pro bono legal work to a number of White House policies, often scoring injunctions to block them from taking effect.