Resistance is not futile

A group of former lawyers from the U.S. Justice Department and major law firms launched a new nonprofit on Monday to take on cases for free opposing actions by the Trump administration.

The newly formed Washington Litigation Group will represent targets of criminal and congressional investigations and pursue civil litigation targeting President Donald Trump's executive orders, according to attorneys Nathaniel Zelinsky and James Pearce.

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Zelinsky in June resigned from law firm Milbank, which is among nine major firms that pledged to donate nearly $1 billion in free legal services to causes Trump supports in order to avoid a crackdown by the administration.

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Joining Zelinsky and Pearce are Samantha Bateman and Mary Dohrmann, both former Justice Department lawyers. Pearce and Dohrmann were members of U.S. special counsel Jack Smith's team.

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Zelinsky declined to name donors to the new firm. He said it has received funding from institutions that support democracy and is seeking to hire at least one more attorney.

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A steering committee of retired lawyers and judges will help lead and advise the new firm, including on hiring matters and case selection.

The committee includes Peter Keisler, who served as acting U.S. attorney general under President George W. Bush, and Tom Green, a former head of Sidley Austin's white-collar defense practice who is serving as president of the group.

  Reuters