"Courage and Conviction: Young Lawyers Defending Democracy"

A fireside chat on principled resistance and practical action in challenging times

Description:

Join the American Constitution Society at UIC Law for an intimate conversation with two lawyers who exemplify moral courage in the legal profession.

Rachel Cohen, a Harvard Law graduate, made national headlines in March 2025 when she publicly resigned from Skadden Arps as a third-year associate in protest of the corporate legal industry's failure to respond to Trump administration intimidation. Shortly after she resigned, Skadden agreed to provide $100 million in pro bono work aligned with the administration's agenda, for unclear benefit to the firm. Prior to resigning, Cohen helped organize an open letter signed by nearly 1800 anonymized law firm associates calling on firm leadership to defend the rule of law against executive orders targeting lawyers. Following her resignation, she testified before Democratic members of Congress about threats to the legal profession. Since leaving Big Law, Cohen has become a leading voice in Chicago's resistance to ICE enforcement, creating viral TikTok and Instagram content (@cohen.489) that teaches Chicagoans how to protect their immigrant neighbors through court watch programs, protests at ICE facilities in Broadview, and direct action. Her courage has been recognized by organizations like the Rosenstrasse Civil Courage Foundation, Principles First, and German law firm Redeker Sellner Dahs. 

John Geiringer is the Regulatory Section Leader of the Financial Institutions Group at Barack Ferrazzano law firm. He also is the founding Co-Director of the Center for National Security and Human Rights Law (and its Consortium for the Research and Study of Holocaust and the Law) at Chicago-Kent College of Law, where he teaches classes on banking, national security, and the Holocaust. Among his other publications, he is the editor of Countering the Financing of Terrorism: Law and Policy and is the co-editor of an upcoming treatise on legal issues surrounding the Holocaust. John serves as a member of the Illinois Holocaust and Genocide Commission and is a member of the Consultation Committee advising the Claims Conference’s forthcoming HALL (Holocaust, Antisemitism and Law Learning) Center.

This fireside chat will explore urgent questions for the next generation of lawyers: How do we uphold constitutional principles when institutions falter? What does principled resistance look like in legal practice? How can law students and young attorneys protect vulnerable communities and democratic norms? Drawing on lessons from Holocaust history, contemporary activism, and national security law, our speakers will offer practical guidance on navigating ethical dilemmas, building coalitions, and using legal skills to defend democracy.

Whether you're considering career paths, grappling with professional ethics, or seeking ways to engage in constitutional advocacy, this conversation will provide both inspiration and actionable strategies for lawyers committed to justice.