An open letter sent to law firm leaders and management from a group of Muslim and South Asian bar associations said the firms were contributing to an “environment of Islamophobia and anti-Arab sentiment” and leading to “a workplace that is less inclusive, less welcoming and more hostile toward these underrepresented groups.”

They also said that a Nov. 2 letter signed by more than 200 law firms that pressed law schools to deal with rising antisemitism on campus had the effect of chilling free speech for Palestinian, Muslim and Arab lawyers.