Law firm Edelson PC has decided to end recruiting at Harvard Law School over president Claudine Gay’s disastrous congressional testimony, in which she argued context was needed to determine whether calls for Jewish genocide violated the school’s bullying and harassment policies.
The firm’s CEO Jay Edelson announced the change in a Dec. 14 letter to the Law School’s director of recruitment and operations, Jesse Ohrenberger.
“We, along with the rest of the nation, observed Dr. Claudine Gay’s testimony before Congress, wherein she refused to unequivocally state that advocating for genocide would breach the school’s code of conduct,” Edelson wrote. “In light of these events, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue our participation in on-campus interviews.”
Edelson’s decision came "despite [Gay's] belated apology."
"[T]he gravity of her initial response cannot be overlooked. As an expert in political and social studies, Dr. Gay certainly knew to expect the types of questions that would be asked of her," Edelson wrote in his letter.
He noted that the firm’s move will not punish students. Rather than recruiting on campus, they committed to "exploring alternative channels to connect with those students interested in opportunities at Edelson PC, ensuring that our actions are directed appropriately at the administration and do not penalize students for matters beyond their control."
NEW: Edelson PC, a major law firm, will no longer participate in on-campus interviews at Harvard Law School due to Claudine Gay’s Congressional testimony.
— Steve McGuire (@sfmcguire79) December 16, 2023
“Dr. Gay was in a position to help lead the country. She did the very opposite,” writes founder and CEO Jay Edelson: pic.twitter.com/aTWhX62BKL