Big Law Tilts Liberal—But How Much Does It Matter? (Podcast)

Feb. 13, 2024, 9:51 PM UTC

Many have long suspected that the legal profession, and so-called “Big Law” in particular, has a liberal lean. A new study looking at Supreme Court amicus briefs supports this suspicion with some of the strongest empirical evidence yet.

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The study found that firms overwhelmingly choose liberal clients instead of conservative clients when working on pro bono cases before SCOTUS. Legal journalist and Bloomberg Law columnist David Lat says this finding isn’t surprising, but what’s interesting is thinking about why this is and what, if anything, firms should do about it.

Lat joins our podcast, On The Merits, to talk about ideological diversity in the legal industry and why even Jones Day, one of the most conservative firms in the country, files lots of briefs on behalf of liberal clients.

Do you have feedback on this episode of On The Merits? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.


To contact the reporter on this story: David Schultz in Washington at dschultz@bloomberglaw.com

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