U.S. News
28 Name-Brand Employers That Don’t Want to Hire ‘Radical’ Ivy League Grads
By CM Chaney · May 10, 2024
Gary Goldstein, CEO of executive search firm the Whitney Group, told Fox Business, "It's one thing to be involved in a peaceful protest where you're debating political issues like abortion or women's rights. … Those are the types of discussions you can have a public point of view on. When you start getting involved in something that involves genocide or accusing people of genocide or the extinction of a state, you've crossed the line."
Goldstein added, “Over the last couple of years, there has been a tendency to move away from the dependency on the Ivy Leagues. Corporate recruiters are looking more to liberal arts colleges or state schools.”
Herein are 28 major corporations and law firms that are stepping back on hiring applicants from America’s most prestigious colleges — along with 13 federal judges who have also said they’ll take a pass on those whom they believe have been radicalized by American academia. Rajeshwar Bachu on Unsplash
World’s 4th Largest Company (by market capitalization)
Search engine giant Google fired a reported 50 workers whom, it says, were involved in April protests over the tech company’s contract with Israel for cloud-computing services.
Google said the protesters “physically disrupted” other company workers. The also wore masks and discarded their company badges in order to avoid being identified. Kai Wenzel on Unsplash
Exxon Mobil Corp.
Global Energy CorporationDarren Woods, Chief Executive of Exxon Mobil, the world’s largest non-government-owned oil company, told CNBC that when it comes to campus demonstrators: “If that action or those protests reflect the values of the campuses where they’re doing it, we wouldn’t be interested in recruiting students from those campuses.” Raymond Kotewicz on Unsplash
Pershing Square Holdings
$18 Billion Hedge FundBill Ackman, the Harvard-educated founder and CEO of $18 billion hedge fund Pershing Square Holdings, has lambasted his alma mater for what he believes is its weak response to the anti-Jewish protesters who have seemingly overtaken the renowned university. He also pushed for the ouster of its president, Claudine Gay.
His highly successful investment firm has taken major positions in Netflix, Herbalife, Universal Music Group and Chipotle. Venti Views on Unsplash
Third Point
$11 Billion Hedge FundHedge fund titan Daniel Loeb said his $11 billion investment firm, Third Point, is currently rethinking its recruitment program, which in the past relied heavily on Ivy Schools such as Harvard, Yale, Columbia and UPenn. Loeb now considers these schools potentially too radical to mold students into level-headed financial professionals.
Loeb said, “We are looking for high-quality candidates, but we’re going to be looking at different places” than Ivy League institutions. Wikimedia/Third Point LLC
Law Firms
24 of the world’s most prestigious law firms recently warned law schools that they will not hire graduates involved in “discrimination or harassment” against Jewish students on university campuses.The firms include: Hunters Race on Unsplash
Wachtell Lipton
AmLaw100 Rank #1“Wachtell Lipton was founded on a handshake in 1965 as a small group of lawyers dedicated to providing advice and expertise at the highest levels.
“We have achieved extraordinary results following the distinctive vision of our founders — a cohesive team of lawyers intensely focused on solving our clients’ most important problems.”
From Firm Website Wikimeida/Pirtle Design
Kirkland & Ellis
AmLaw100 Rank #2“We are an international law firm that serves a broad range of clients around the world in private equity, M&A and other corporate transactions, litigation, white collar and government disputes, restructurings and intellectual property matters. We offer the highest quality legal advice coupled with extraordinary, tailored service to deliver exceptional results to our clients and help their businesses succeed.”
From Firm Website Wikimedia/Kirkland & Ellis
Davis Polk
AmLaw100 Rank #3“From longtime partners to junior associates, our lawyers are the best of the best. We attract the sharpest legal minds who are uniquely prepared to handle your most complex matters. Our lawyers are not just authorities in the law – they understand how the world does business, and they offer practical, strategic advice.”
From Firm Website Wikimedia/Davidbenjaminlat
Paul Weiss
AmLaw100 Rank #5“Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP is a premier firm of more than 1,000 lawyers with diverse backgrounds, personalities, ideas and interests who provide innovative and effective solutions to our clients’ most complex legal and business challenges. The firm represents many of the world’s largest and most important public and private corporations, asset managers and financial institutions, as well as clients in need of pro bono assistance.”
From Firm Website Wikimedia/Frank.trampe
Simpson Thacher
AmLaw100 Rank #6“Simpson Thacher is one of the world’s most respected law firms. But for us, this has never simply been a matter of size or rankings. It’s the direct result of our commitment to one founding principle.
“Our success is driven by that of our clients.
“Since 1884, many of the world’s largest organizations have turned to us for smart solutions to critical commercial challenges. Today, more than 1,300 lawyers in 11 global offices put the collective experience of the Firm to work for every client we serve.”
From Firm Website Wikimedia/Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Sullivan & Cromwell
AmLaw100 Rank #7“Sullivan & Cromwell LLP provides the highest quality legal advice and representation to clients around the world. The results the Firm achieves have set it apart for more than 140 years and have become a model for the modern practice of law. Today, S&C is a leader in each of its core practice areas and in each of its geographic markets.
“S&C’s success is the result of the quality of its lawyers, the most broadly and deeply trained collection of attorneys in the world. The Firm’s lawyers work as a single partnership without geographic division. S&C hires the very best law school graduates and trains them to be generalists within broad practice areas.”
From Firm Website Wikimedia
Latham & Watkins
AmLaw100 Rank #9“Latham & Watkins advises the businesses and institutions that power the global economy.
“We bring together the world’s best legal talent in every major jurisdiction to shape the deals and win the disputes that transform markets. Our experience at the cutting edge of commercial, financial, and legal innovation enables us to deliver results that fuel our clients’ success.”
From Firm Website Wikimedia
Cravath
AmLaw100 Rank #10“Cravath has been known as one of the premier U.S. law firms for more than two centuries. Each of our practice areas is highly regarded, and our lawyers are recognized around the world for their commitment to the representation of our clients’ interests.
“Throughout our history, we have played a central role in developing how law is practiced, how lawyers are trained and how business risk is managed. We are not, and do not strive to be, the largest law firm measured by number of offices or lawyers. Our goal is to be the firm of choice for clients with respect to their most challenging legal issues, most significant business transactions and most critical disputes.”
From Firm Website Wikimedia
Weil Gotshall
AmLaw100 Rank #11“With approximately 1,100 lawyers in offices around the world, Weil operates according to the ‘one firm’ principle, allowing us to bring the right mix of firm-wide skill and local-market presence to deliver the coordinated legal services necessary to help our clients achieve their sophisticated goals and objectives.”
“Recognized by clients, the media, and professional commentators, Weil’s lawyers are known for the clarity, timeliness, and effectiveness of their counsel, and as a result, have become their clients’ call of first resort for solutions to their most complex legal challenges.”
From Firm Website Wikimedia
Sadden Arps
AmLaw100 Rank #12“Founded by Marshall Skadden, Les Arps and John Slate on April Fools’ Day in 1948, Skadden began as a scrappy upstart among a sea of established “white shoe” law firms in New York.”
“The traits that fueled Skadden’s rise from a New York startup to a global powerhouse — innovative, collaborative, client-centric — continue to define our firm culture. We remain focused on developing an inclusive complement of extraordinary attorneys who work together as a team to deliver the highest quality advice and best outcomes for clients.”
From Firm Website Wikimedia
Milbank
AmLaw100 Rank #13“Driven to deliver exceptional results for our clients, we push boundaries and challenge assumptions. That’s been core to our ethos since our founding in 1866. It fuels how we work and define ourselves, and it informs our growth and evolution as a firm.
“We keep impressive company. Our clients are market leaders, global innovators and paradigm-shifting entrepreneurs that advance emerging industries. Surrounding ourselves by the best inspires and challenges us to constantly reimagine what’s possible.”
From Firm Website Wikimedia
Debevoise & Plimpton
AmLaw100 Rank #14“Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a premier law firm with market-leading practices, a global perspective and strong New York roots. Our clients look to us to bring a distinctively high degree of quality, intensity and creativity to resolve legal challenges effectively and cost efficiently.
“Deep partner commitment, industry experience and a strategic approach enable us to bring clear commercial judgment to every matter. We draw on the strength of our culture and structure to deliver the best of our firm to every client through true collaboration.”
From Firm Website Wikimedia
Cleary Gottlieb
AmLaw100 Rank #16“Cleary Gottlieb is a pioneer in globalizing the legal profession.
“Since 1946 our lawyers and staff have worked across practices, industries, jurisdictions and continents to provide clients with simple, actionable approaches to their most complex legal and business challenges, whether domestic or international. We support every client relationship with intellectual agility, commercial acumen and a human touch.
“We have a proven track record for serving with innovation. We are fluent in the many languages of local and global business. And we have achieved consistent success in multiple jurisdictions.”
From Firm Website Wikimedia
Gibson Dunn
AmLaw100 Rank #17“Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, a leading international law firm, consistently ranks among the world’s top law firms in industry surveys and major publications. The firm is distinctively positioned in today’s global marketplace with more than 1,800 lawyers and 21 offices,” said the ratings organization, Chambers and Partner.
“The American Lawyer named Gibson Dunn a Finalist in its 2022 Litigation Department of the Year competition, noting that “when news breaks and the pressure rises, clients call Gibson Dunn’s litigators to regain control.”
From Chambers Profiles Wikimedia
Fried Frank
AmLaw100 Rank #21“Fried Frank was founded by German-Jewish lawyers who faced discrimination at a time when few established law firms would employ them, and we continue to foster the welcoming, inclusive culture that sets us apart. That’s why we say there are no typical Fried Frank lawyers. Instead, we are a collection of individuals working together to achieve success for our clients.
From Firm Website Wikimedia
Other Law Firms
Below are the other top law firms that are saying “No” to campus protesters:Akin Gump
McDermott, Will & Emery
Milbank
Mintz Levin
Morgan, Lewis
O’Melveny & Myers
Paul Hastings
Proskauer
Ropes & Gray
Wilkie Farr JASON BEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK
Judges
Thirteen federal judges have also announced that they will not hire graduates of Columbia University Law School or College.They include:
Judge Alan Albright
Judge David Counts
Judge James Hendrix
Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk
Judge Jeremy Kernodle
Judge Tilman Self
Judge Brantley Starr
Judge Drew Tipton
Judge Daniel Traynor
Judge Stephen Alexander Vaden Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash