Epstein-Linked Lawyer Brad Karp Lectures at Harvard Law, Dodges Tough Questions

Brad Karp, once the powerful chair of the prestigious law firm Paul, Weiss, is back in the spotlight — this time as a guest lecturer at Harvard Law School. But Karp’s presence raises serious questions about accountability and the ethical standards we expect from legal leaders.

Karp became notorious for leading Paul, Weiss into a controversial deal with the Trump administration. Under his watch, the firm agreed to dismantle its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and pledged $40 million in pro bono work to Trump initiatives. This was in exchange for relief from an executive order that targeted the firm. Karp justified the deal to Harvard students by claiming that Paul, Weiss partners feared losing clients and talent to rival firms if they resisted. In other words, the firm folded out of fear, not principle.

Yet, firms that refused to capitulate — Perkins Coie, WilmerHale, Jenner & Block, and others — took the Trump administration to court and are winning. Federal judges repeatedly struck down the executive orders as unconstitutional. Karp’s framing of surrender as pragmatism falls apart under scrutiny. Paul, Weiss lost partners and became a cautionary tale of cowardice, setting a precedent that made it easier for other firms to fold.

But the darkest stain on Karp’s legacy is his entanglement with Jeffrey Epstein. The Epstein files exposed a relationship far beyond the firm’s claim of “adverse parties.” Emails revealed Karp’s personal and professional interactions with Epstein, including requests to help Epstein’s associates with visa issues and glowing reviews of legal arguments that disparaged Epstein’s trafficking victims. These are not the actions of a detached lawyer; they signal complicity.

At Harvard, however, students were told they could not ask Karp about his Epstein connections — a glaring omission in a course on legal professions and ethics. This censorship allowed Karp to present a sanitized version of his story while avoiding accountability for his role in enabling one of the most notorious sex traffickers in recent history.

Some students pushed back. Third-year law student Jackson S. Faulkner condemned Karp’s association with Harvard, calling it incompatible with the university’s values of egalitarianism and respect. Another student staged a silent protest by displaying a photo of Epstein during the Zoom session, a powerful reminder that Karp’s past is not so easily erased.

For a man who once spoke of moral courage and led a top law firm, Karp’s fall is stark. His attempt to rewrite history at Harvard only underscores the urgent need to hold legal elites accountable — especially when their actions have real consequences for victims and the rule of law.

Karp’s story is not just about one man’s failings. It is a cautionary tale about how institutions enable corruption and abuse when they prioritize power over principle. And it is a call to action for all of us to demand transparency and justice, no matter how uncomfortable the truth may be.