Big law firms are facing new climate pressure from students

Activists say they'll deliver on Friday signatures from more than 600 law students pledging to boycott the firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison unless it ditches Exxon as a client.

Why it matters: It signals the evolving tactics of climate advocates. Another example of the widening scope are campaigns in recent years to pressure tech giants over their emissions and work with oil companies.

• Paul Weiss ranks poorly in a climate scorecard of big firms released this month by the new group Law Students for Climate Accountability.
• The signatures being delivered today come from students at over 45 schools, the group said.
• Harvard and Yale law students protested at Paul Weiss recruitment events in January and February.

The other side: Paul Weiss, in a statement to news outlets around the Yale protests, said, "We are proud of the outstanding work we do for a wide range of commercial and pro bono clients in their most challenging and high-profile matters, including our recent defense of ExxonMobil in a securities fraud case in which the court found, after trial, that plaintiff’s claims were entirely without merit."

The intrigue: Some firms are taking notice of how they're perceived by students coming into the profession.

• This month, Cozen O’Connor and Wilson Sonsini posted statements noting they're among only four firms with "A" grades in the Law Students for Climate Accountability scorecard.