Five years ago, I left a partnership at a large, prestigious law firm to start Elias Law Group. At the time, I made clear that I was giving up the comforts of Big Law because I wanted to more fully engage in representing clients in the political process at this unique moment in history.

Since then, the firm has grown to more than 60 lawyers.

We are currently litigating 87 voting and election cases in 41 states plus Washington, DC — including dozens against the Department of Justice over Donald Trump's efforts to gain access to state voter rolls and take control of elections.

This work has earned me the enmity of Trump and his allies. He sued me for racketeering, he has called me names, told a crowd at the Justice Department that I was a "radical" and a "really bad person," and issued presidential documents attacking me.

I wear his scorn as a badge of honor.

That is the choice I have made. Sadly, it is a choice too few lawyers at the country's largest law firms are making.

For months I have decried the absence of large law firms from the fight for democracy and free and fair elections. Today, the New York Times helped give important context to the frustration I have felt and the problem we face.

In a long exposé, authors Michael S. Schmidt and Jessica Silver-Greenberg detail how one firm — Paul Weiss — “went from standing up to Trump to bending the knee.”

It is a startling account of greed, immorality, and cynicism. But mostly, it is a story of cowardice. As the Times explained, “Paul Weiss was a progressive stalwart for decades and led the legal resistance against President Trump in his first term. Then surrendered without a fight.”

While lawyers like me were attacked by Trump and stood tall, Paul Weiss capitulated in a settlement that included providing the administration $40 million in free legal services. While I was finding new ways to protect democracy, Paul Weiss was avoiding representing causes that might displease Trump.

Perhaps most disturbing, while I was investing more time, energy, and resources into building Democracy Docket so that more people could understand the threats, Paul Weiss was scrubbing its website of past efforts that might upset Trump and his cronies.

I started Democracy Docket a year before I left Big Law. It was March 2020, and Donald Trump was threatening free and fair elections. I saw the need then for a dedicated news site that would tell the unvarnished truth about what is happening to democracy and free and fair elections in court.

Since then, that mission has grown more urgent. Too many parts of the legacy media are failing to stand up to Trump — just as Big Law firms like Paul Weiss are capitulating.

As the need has grown, so too has Democracy Docket. What started as a part-time team of 3 has become a full-time staff of more than 30.

While I used to write a couple of times a month, I now produce essays several times a week, along with YouTube videos and social media posts.

That is because I understand that spreading accurate information about democracy is as important as creating good caselaw. Both are vital ways to protect voters in these difficult times.

Donald Trump knows the value of perpetuating lies and propaganda. That is why Paul Weiss not only stopped doing important legal work but removed content from its website that would displease him.

Just as my law firm is independent of Donald Trump, so too is Democracy Docket. It has no corporate investors or advertisers.

It relies on our premium members to keep the content on our website free for everyone and to provide the resources that allow us to send daily and weekly newsletters to anyone who signs up.

Most importantly, in an age of cowards, they allow us to continue to grow Democracy Docket in size and influence. While premium members do receive additional newsletter content from me and are invited to exclusive events, their most important role is ensuring Democracy Docket's independence.

If you believe — as I do — that this moment demands more courage and less capitulation, I hope you'll consider becoming a premium member today.