New Legal Initiative for Anti-Semitism Victims
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), in collaboration with the prominent law firm Gibson Dunn, has established a nationwide network aimed at offering free legal support to Jewish Americans experiencing anti-Semitic harassment, vandalism, and violence. Organizers highlight a significant increase in anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S.
This initiative, named the ADL Legal Action Network, was unveiled on Wednesday and includes over 40 leading law firms such as Cooley, Covington & Burling, Morgan Lewis, Jeffries, and Leaf Cabraser, all providing pro bono legal services to those impacted by anti-Semitism.
In total, these firms represent around 39,000 lawyers across 35 states.
“According to the latest FBI hate crime statistics, Jews remain the most targeted religious group in the U.S.,” Orin Snyder, a partner at Gibson Dunn, explained. “More than 70% of all reported religiously motivated hate crimes are aimed at American Jews.”
Snyder noted that incidents of hate crimes against Jews have surged by 757% since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
“Sadly, the situation for 2024-2025 looks daunting,” Snyder added. “This ongoing national trend is a significant factor behind the launch of this legal initiative.”
The network expands upon a hotline initiated by Gibson Dunn and the ADL in 2023, designed to assist students and staff address anti-Semitism on college campuses.
The Campus Anti-Semitism Legal Line (CALL) has already addressed nearly 1,000 complaints from more than 260 educational institutions across 40 states.
“We’ve been inundated with reports from campuses,” Snyder remarked. “Then we started receiving complaints from workplaces and schools as well. That’s when we realized this required a more extensive pro bono approach.”
The new network will implement AI technology for managing reports, directing cases through the ADL’s response network and associated law firms to assess how to assist victims.
Snyder stated that the initiative would cover all incidents of anti-Semitism, including physical violence, vandalism, online harassment, and discrimination in educational and employment contexts.
“It encompasses every form of anti-Semitism, particularly acts of violence, of which there are far too many,” he commented.
The original Campus Anti-Semitism Hotline has already had a measurable impact.
For instance, at Ohio State University, a man has pleaded guilty to federal hate crime charges stemming from an attack on two Jewish students near the campus.
Meanwhile, at Princeton University, a tip to the hotline led to a review of policies following the experience of a Jewish student who was mistakenly subjected to a no-contact order during an anti-Israel protest.
Gibson Dunn contributed over 200,000 hours of pro bono work last year and will lead this new initiative. Snyder mentioned that more than 100 attorneys from the firm would focus on this project, collaborating with around 40 partner firms.
“Our pro bono efforts significantly outweigh our work for paying clients,” Snyder emphasized. “This is part of our long-standing commitment to social responsibility.”
ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt noted that this collaboration greatly enhances the organization’s capacity to assist victims of anti-Semitic attacks.
“For many years, those affected by anti-Semitism have sought help from the ADL for immediate support,” Greenblatt remarked.
“Teaming up with Gibson Dunn allows us to significantly broaden our reach, helping more Jewish Americans access legal aid no matter where they reside.”
