American Constitution Society Presents Rachel Cohen

Acclaimed attorney Ms. Rachel Cohen (Harvard Law School '22; Ohio State University '14) discusses how she openly defied one of the most powerful institutions in America – the executive branch – as a means of upholding the rule of law and honoring the oath she swore to the United States Constitution. In March 2025, Ms. Cohen made headlines when she resigned from her job as a third-year finance associate at one of the nation’s elite law firms, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP. On the heels of President Trump’s string of retaliatory executive orders targeting the legal practices and client lists of several Big Law firms, Ms. Cohen penned a letter – signed by over 1,800 other associates – urging Big Law leadership to take a stand against what she described as “the administration’s intimidation tactics, viewpoint discrimination, and attempts to weaponize the executive against the rule of law.” In a company-wide resignation email, Ms. Cohen pleaded with her colleagues: “We do not have time. It is now or it is never, and if it is never, I will not continue to work here.” Days after Ms. Cohen resigned, news broke that Skadden reached a deal with the Trump administration – to the tune of $100 million – to avoid becoming the next firm targeted by the President’s unprecedented executive orders. Since her resignation, Ms. Cohen has testified before Congress, taken to TikTok to inspire fellow Chicagoans to protest ICE, and shared her story with several law schools across the country. Cleveland State University College of Law is honored to be the latest to welcome her. Join us to hear Ms. Cohen discuss the roles and responsibilities that we – as law students, lawyers, and leaders – have in responding to and combating the rising tide of authoritarianism infiltrating our industries. What does it mean to uphold the rule of law? What challenges might lawyers face in the coming years? And what can we do to keep the rule of law and an independent legal profession intact?