Welcome to Original Jurisdiction, the latest legal publication by me, David Lat. You can learn more about Original Jurisdiction by reading its About page, and you can email me at davidlat@substack.com. This is a reader-supported publication; you can subscribe by clicking here.
When Brad Karp stepped down as chairman of Paul Weiss on February 4, in the wake of new revelations about his ties to the late Jeffrey Epstein, it was big news in Biglaw. Over the past two weeks, I’ve written around 10,000 words about Karp’s departure. And many other journalists have covered the story as well—including my friend Vivia Chen, a former columnist for The American Lawyer and Bloomberg Law who now has her own newsletter here on the Substack platform, The Ex-Careerist.
Earlier this week, Vivia and I spoke together at an event sponsored by Law Firm Media Professionals. After the event, we traded notes about reader reactions to our Karp coverage. We both thought it was an interesting conversation—so we turned it into a written dialogue, which we’re now sharing with our respective audiences.
Vivia Chen: I don’t know about you, David, but I’m getting blowback for my post, Big Law’s Execution of Brad Karp. I’m hearing that I was much too nice to him because I suggested that he was treated shabbily by Paul Weiss. One partner at another Biglaw firm told me that if Karp had any decency, he would have resigned immediately. Another said the partners should have kicked him out on his ass as soon as they learned about his Epstein connection. What are you hearing from your readers?
David Lat: I’ve received similar feedback. And I’ve gotten comments suggesting that I should have offered a more normative or even moralistic take. But my writing about Brad’s resignation has been focused primarily on reporting—talking to Paul Weiss sources, reviewing the 1,700-plus Epstein files with the word “karp” in them—and analysis. I wanted to pass along facts—and let readers form their own moral and ethical judgments.
VC: Reviewing 1,700-plus Epstein documents—I’m impressed! Thank you for your service. As for passing judgment, well, that’s my bailiwick. Guess that’s the difference between us: you stay above the fray while I get down and dirty.
DL: Ha! I did plenty of passing judgment, for years, at Above the Law—but I’ve turned over a new leaf.
VC: We kind of switched places. In any case, I think we both tried to write a nuanced piece about Karp and his legacy. But that’s not what people seem to want these days. They want a clear villain, and Karp seems to fill that need.
DL: Agreed. People just want to pile on. They want to hear about the evils of Epstein—and anyone who associated with him, such as Karp. And don’t get me wrong—Epstein was evil. But as I wrote, “I don’t think it’s very productive for me to chronicle and condemn his wrongdoing; that has already been done, quite ably, by others.”
Read more
https://davidlat.substack.com/p/brad-karp-resignation-paul-weiss-chair-vivia-chen-david-lat
