What happened
A new law firm, the Oversight Project, has been launched to provide legal defense for individuals targeted by politically motivated investigations, lawsuits, and professional disciplinary actions. The firm will be led by Jeff Clark and backed by a multi-million-dollar investment from philanthropist Tom Klingenstein.
The Oversight Project aims to raise $10 million over two years and hire at least 15 lawyers to provide rapid-response representation to those targeted by lawfare. The firm will focus on constitutional, administrative, ethics, and First Amendment law, and will pair lawyers with investigators to pursue lawful remedies against those who abuse legal processes.
The launch of the Oversight Project is seen as a response to the left's use of lawfare to target political opponents, and the right's lack of institutionalized capacity to represent individuals at little or no cost. The firm's goal is to change the cost calculation for those who believe legal process can be weaponized without consequence, and to provide a fair chance for individuals to survive lawfare.
The Oversight Project will also build the next generation of lawyers by providing young lawyers with real responsibility and the opportunity to work beside experienced counsel. The firm's mission is to defend allies and make abusive legal tactics more expensive to use, and to provide a permanent institution for legal defense.
