Protesting for Hamas may have seemed like a lark to students at “elite” colleges and law schools, but it turns out that there might actually be consequences. Law firms, in particular, have expressed unwillingness to hire anti-Semites. Now we have this:
S&C is our go-to law firm. Their principled approach here makes me want to send them more business. You should too. https://t.co/G0Ay3w9s0D
— Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) May 16, 2024
Sullivan & Cromwell is one of the world’s great law firms, I think in the top five by anyone’s reckoning. This is from the National Law Journal article linked in the tweet:
[Senior firm chair Joe] Shenker was in his Jerusalem synagogue’s bomb shelter when the Hamas-led attack on Israel began on Oct. 7.
Oops. So what will Sullivan do to try to identify students who turned out for terrorism?
The firm is now outlining some of its vetting processes in that effort, including reviewing resumes, social media, news reports and student group affiliations and employing third-party specialists for background checks.
“Third-party specialists for background checks.” That sounds serious; Sullivan obviously doesn’t want to inadvertently hire Hamasniks. And their clients–like Bill Ackman–likely appreciate that vigilance.
Of course, the average demonstrator’s chance of getting a job with Sullivan & Cromwell, even if he or she is a law school graduate, is vanishingly small. But other firms and companies may follow the lead of Sullivan and the other prominent law firms who have publicly said that they will not knowingly hire anti-Semites. Maybe there will be a trickle-down effect on the broader economy. We can only hope so.
Meanwhile, who had “John Fetterman is the most sensible senator” on his bingo card? Not me, that’s for sure. But Fetterman continues to impress:
no shit pic.twitter.com/XADLdZNq4O
— Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) May 16, 2024
