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The attorney who challenged an elite law firm & the Trump administration | Rapid Response

About Rachel

  • Harvard Law School and Ohio State University graduate.
  • Former associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.
  • Viral resignation in 2025 protesting law firm capitulation to Trump admin.
  • Organizer empowering attorneys to defend rule of law & protest industry pressure.
  • Creator of toolkits enabling lawyers to protest internally at major law firms.

| 25:45

Many prominent law firms have recently found themselves in President Trump’s crosshairs. Skadden Arps’ attorney Rachel Cohen encouraged the firm to fight the government’s pressure, only to have her attempts rebuffed and to be effectively forced out from the firm. Cohen joins Rapid Response to share her dramatic story, and fears about how the rule of law is changing in America. Rachel’s experience raises questions about the legal industry’s role in the checks and balances of the U.S. system, and how leaders everywhere navigate the relationship between their business and broader society.

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Host, Rapid Response
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Activist & former Skadden attorney
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When powerful law firms don’t defend themselves against Trump
Activist Rachel Cohen
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Activist Rachel Cohen