Support the Candidate of Your Choice, Possibly Line Up a Plum Job

"An email sent to nearly 300 lawyers on Sunday by Brad Karp, chair of prestigious law firm Paul Weiss, sought to rally support for Harris. It has generated an enthusiastic response, according to recipients, with the leader of Cravath and senior figures at DLA Piper helping to mobilise colleagues." Financial Times, August 1, 2024

That support goes beyond fundraising. It extends from event planning to addressing legal issues during the campaign. About the latter, some may recall that Jones Day partner Don McGahn took on that role in Donald Trump's first campaign. 

As for Karp, this isn't his first rodeo. He also had been prominent in guiding Harris in 2019 for the 2020 election. No surprise, on March 25, 2021, Bloomberg Law noted that Karp's Wall Street law firm Paul, Weiss was well connected with the Biden Administration. 

The guy is a master at building, nurturing and growing political networks. Interestingly, Karp left off the list of recipients for his letter Kirkland & Ellis and Jones Day. Both firms, as many know. had provided legal assistance to the Trump Administration. 

Beyond politics, Karp has also proved himself to be a master of mobilization. As the pandemic was just beginning and both individuals and businesses were deer-in-the-headlights Karp organized thousands of lawyers to work pro-bono to create a free comprehensive digital help resource. 

Overall, the current outreach has been met with enthusiasm from those law firm leaders contacted. That follows the weird quiet during the "final days" of Joe Biden's campaign. In those Biden seemed to accelerate in his physical and cognitive decline. A Trump win seemed inevitable.

In contrast, Harris comes across as the horse to bet on. Her track record as a tough prosecutor positions and packages her as "no lefty." That makes her an easier sell to on-the-fence voters. Obviously that increases the odds of her winning the election. So, to prominent law firms which need access inside the beltway she is not only worth investing in. That's a must.

Hovering over any national election is the issue of jobs. Who among front-line supporters will be offered the plum ones? Of course, they have the option of turning them down and remaining on their current career path.  

In the Trump Administration Connecticut late-comer to politics Linda McMahon headed the US Small Business Administration. During Trump's campaign, her wealth built from being an executive in the World Wrestling Entertainment, she was a major donor. In the past she had made two unsuccessful runs for the US Senate. When Jones Day partner in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Laura Ellsworth ran for governor that seemed to be a shot at a possible transition to politics as a second career as she aged. She came in last and is still with Jones Day.

Karp is 64 years old. He has served as chair of Paul, Weiss since 2008. For all Big Law leaders the role has become more formidable. Karp himself put it this way: Competition among firms has become ferocious. 

In college Karp toyed with the idea of a career in Congress. Instead he joined the family business of practicing law, opting for Harvard Law School. Both his parents and his mother's family had been lawyers. His daughter is a partner at Simpson Thacher. 

Will this - Karp's second significant campaign involvement - be the bridge to a career transition into government service? There are myriad options, for him and others who are high profile in the Harris campaign. 

Full Disclosure: In my college years a long-term smart move had been political support for the network of my English professor. Later that landed me a job as a researcher for a senator. The speeches I wrote then landed me a plum position at Chevron. 

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