The chairs of about two-thirds of the Am Law 100 recently signed a statement denouncing the right to vote, which restricts the right to vote. Nineteen current and former general counsel have also signed. They condemn laws that “disenfranchise underrepresented groups”.

Law.com reported that officials at 62 Am Law 100 law firms and 19 general counsel have signed a statement “denouncing all efforts” to restrict US citizens’ constitutional suffrage.

About Am Law 100 surveys

The Am Law 100 surveys rate law firms in the United States. The ranking factors include:

  • Earnings per lawyer;
  • Compensation;
  • Profits per lawyer;
  • Profitability index;
  • Value per lawyer;
  • Profit per equity partner; and
  • Total sales.

The annual ranking of the 100 largest law firms in the country is based on the survey.

Take a stand against restrictive state voting laws

Brad Karp, chairman of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison and chairman of the Legal Action Center, urged Am Law 100 executives to sign a statement denouncing the disenfranchisement of voters.

The statement reads:

Equal access to voting is a fundamental right in the United States. The goal of any elected official should be to make voting easier, not more difficult, for all eligible voters. Electoral laws that place unnecessary barriers and hindrances to the franchise and deprive underrepresented groups are a significant step backwards for all Americans. More than ever, courageous leadership is required from our elected officials. We, the undersigned executive partners of the law firm and general counsel to the corporations, condemn all efforts to restrict the constitutional right of every legitimate American to vote and to participate in our democracy.

Declaration aims at new electoral law in Georgia

The declaration follows a law recently passed in Georgia. Voters say it will make voting in this state more difficult. Other state legislatures are examining similar “voting integrity” measures that would make voting difficult. Proponents of Georgia Senate Bill 202 have said the changes will restore voter confidence in the electoral process and make elections safer. However, civil rights activists say the restrictions are aimed at suppressing voters, especially black voters.

Major League Baseball moves all-star game

At the same time, Major League Baseball announced the move to its all-star game in July. The Major League moved the game from Georgia to Denver in response to the new electoral law.

Texas lawmakers are also considering restrictive electoral laws. Numerous companies in Georgia, Texas and elsewhere have criticized efforts to make voting more difficult.

Organizing the bar Just the first step

Karp von Paul, Weiss answered questions about his attempt to organize Big Law against measures to suppress voters. He wrote in an email that it is:

Critical ”for the private bar association to send a strong message to leaders that it is“ unacceptable to make voting more difficult, not easier, for all eligible voters, and to strongly denounce efforts to impose unnecessary barriers and obstacles on the franchise Disenfranchised underrepresented groups.

Karp also noted that organizing the bar is only the first step:

As in the context of tackling our country’s gun violence epidemic and the Trump administration’s barbaric immigration policies on family segregation, we are forming a coalition of leading law firms and public-interest organizations to challenge state voter suppression legislation and the national one Support legislation to protect voting rights and increase voter turnout.

The AIG General Counsel will be involved, current and former General Counsel

AIG General Counsel Lucy Fato has received assistance from current or former general counsel at 18 other companies.

Fato said she was committed because voting was a fundamental right and it was important for lawyers to speak up.

“It’s just the right thing. I don’t see it as a political problem. I consider it an American problem, ”she said.

Fato said AIG President and CEO Peter Zaffino also issued a statement opposed to voter disenfranchisement efforts. He also attended an online meeting of business leaders last week to discuss ways to oppose voter repression. Participants in the call included representatives from many large companies. These included Delta, American, United, Starbucks, Target, LinkedIn, Levi Strauss and the Boston Consulting Group, as well as the owner of the Atlanta Falcons, Arthur Blank.