The release of the Trump administration’s “compact” has transformed the simmering tensions between the White House and academia into a state of high alert, with university legal departments now preparing for a potential siege. The likely response to this unprecedented federal overreach will be a move from the grassy quads of campus to the marbled halls of the courtroom, signaling a new era of protracted legal warfare.
University general counsels at the nine targeted institutions are undoubtedly dissecting every line of the 10-point proposal, identifying its numerous legal vulnerabilities. The plan touches on a wide range of sensitive legal areas, including First Amendment rights (free speech and academic freedom), Fourteenth Amendment rights (equal protection in admissions), contract law (endowment agreements), and the constitutional limits of federal spending power.
The precedent of Harvard’s existing lawsuit provides a starting point, but the new compact is far more ambitious and aggressive, opening up many new avenues for legal challenge. Universities could sue individually, or they could form a consortium to file a joint lawsuit, creating a powerful united front. They would likely seek an injunction to block the administration from withholding funds while the case is litigated, a process that could take years.
This shift to a legal strategy is a sign of how dire the situation is perceived to be. Litigation is expensive, time-consuming, and uncertain. Universities generally prefer to resolve disputes through lobbying and negotiation. The fact that a legal siege is now seen as a likely and necessary response indicates that academic leaders believe a fundamental, non-negotiable line has been crossed.
The courtroom is now set to become the next major battlefield in the culture war. The administration has made its move, and the universities are now preparing their legal counter-offensive. The resulting cases will be some of the most significant legal battles over education and constitutional law in American history.