Big Law Lawyers Are at Ground Zero in Trump’s University Fights

Big Law attorneys are in the middle of Donald Trump’s attack on universities—even as their firms navigate separate quagmires with the president.

The lawyers hold board seats at schools such as Harvard, Columbia and Penn. The roles are valued for prestige, networking, and access to events. But this year they’re also requiring a heavy dose of legal skills as universities navigate their way through protests, unhappy donors, and threatened funding streams.

“It will be useful that these lawyers have knowledge of the law and the limits of what Trump can get away with,” said Rebecca Roiphe, a New York Law ...