Law Firms Called Out for 'Caving to Trump' by Viral Student Spreadsheet Lobby to Change Designations After Failing to Recruit New Talent: Report

A spreadsheet created by law school students tracking how legal firms respond to the Trump administration has gained national attention, influencing recruitment to the extent that firms are lobbying to change their spreadsheet standing.

Matt Latibashvili is one of the student organizers behind the spreadsheet.

"We didn't know how big this was going to get," he told All Rise News.

"Firms have been emailing us asking to be added to the tracker, have their designation changed, and/or have other edits made to their entries," Latibashvili said.

The day after Donald Trump was elected to his second presidency, three students at Georgetown Law School organized in anticipation of the incoming administration's impact. As Trump signed a series of executive orders targeting law firms who had engaged in litigation against him, his administration, or policies, the students began tracking the response from firms in a shared spreadsheet titled "Legal Industry Responses to Fascist Attacks Tracker."

The document has designated over 800 firms to one of five classifications:

• "Caved to Administration"
• "Complying in Advance"
• "Other Negative Action"
• "Stood Up Against Administration's Attacks"
• "No Response"

Initially intended as a resource enabling classmates to make informed decisions about internships or future employment, the Google spreadsheet's influence grew rapidly. Recruiters at big firms are beginning to take notice.

Two sources involved in hiring and recruiting at major firms told Politico they've seen students on the precipice of graduating reconsider secured offers from firms that "caved."

"I've never seen that happen," an anonymous partner from a "stood up against administration's attacks" firm said.

The document is maintained by a cooperative group of students who painstakingly update details like the dollar amount of pro-bono work pledged to the administration or DEI-related website changes.

Job offers at big firms are highly competitive, but the list is reportedly helping student's narrow their efforts. One first year Georgetown Law student recruiting for internships acknowledged that it's not an easy choice.

"It's really hard to turn down the option of making $200,000 right out of law school, especially when I've only ever earned minimum wage before," he told Forbes, speaking anonymously and going on to reveal he refused an interview with Skadden. The firm, which capitulated to Trump's demands, recently had a recruiting event canceled by students at Georgetown Energy Law Group.