white-shoe
adjective
: of, associated with, or characteristic of the privileged moneyed upper class : upper-crust
a white-shoe law firm
Examples of white-shoe in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Paul Weiss, Kirkland & Ellis, Skadden Arps, and other white-shoe firms quickly agreed to provide hundreds of millions in pro-bono work for Trump in exchange for relief from his attacks.
—
Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Apr. 2025
Kamala Harris’ spouse, a longtime entertainment, media and intellectual property attorney in Los Angeles, joined the white-shoe law firm of Willkie Farr & Gallagher after the former vice president left the White House.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
While Americans may have little sympathy for the soft hands and power suits of America’s corporate white-shoe law firms, legal experts warn that the stakes are that high.
—Henry Gass, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Apr. 2025
But the fund’s failings struck at the heart of New York’s intentions, said Eric Olson, a corporate and finance lawyer at Cleary Gottlieb, a white-shoe firm helping some licensees to develop their businesses pro bono.
—Ashley Southall, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
Her first job out of Yale Law School was as a prosecutor with the Manhattan district attorney’s office — a different path from many of her classmates who sought high-paying jobs with white-shoe law firms.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 12 Feb. 2025
China, India, the Gulf states, and the larger European countries all hire expensive and highly reputed lobbying and white-shoe law firms to advance their interests in Congress.
—Jorge G. CastaÑeda, Foreign Affairs, 4 Feb. 2025
The federal judiciary, particularly at its highest levels, had become increasingly homogeneous in recent decades, populated mostly by white men with careers in prosecutors’ offices and white-shoe law firms.
—Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Dec. 2024
Few companies are as well positioned as Disney — with its Jedi-level brand power and a veritable army of the best white-shoe lawyers money can buy — to stomach such a fight.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 19 Dec. 2024
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Apr. 2025
Kamala Harris’ spouse, a longtime entertainment, media and intellectual property attorney in Los Angeles, joined the white-shoe law firm of Willkie Farr & Gallagher after the former vice president left the White House.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
While Americans may have little sympathy for the soft hands and power suits of America’s corporate white-shoe law firms, legal experts warn that the stakes are that high.
—Henry Gass, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Apr. 2025
But the fund’s failings struck at the heart of New York’s intentions, said Eric Olson, a corporate and finance lawyer at Cleary Gottlieb, a white-shoe firm helping some licensees to develop their businesses pro bono.
—Ashley Southall, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
Her first job out of Yale Law School was as a prosecutor with the Manhattan district attorney’s office — a different path from many of her classmates who sought high-paying jobs with white-shoe law firms.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 12 Feb. 2025
China, India, the Gulf states, and the larger European countries all hire expensive and highly reputed lobbying and white-shoe law firms to advance their interests in Congress.
—Jorge G. CastaÑeda, Foreign Affairs, 4 Feb. 2025
The federal judiciary, particularly at its highest levels, had become increasingly homogeneous in recent decades, populated mostly by white men with careers in prosecutors’ offices and white-shoe law firms.
—Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Dec. 2024
Few companies are as well positioned as Disney — with its Jedi-level brand power and a veritable army of the best white-shoe lawyers money can buy — to stomach such a fight.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 19 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“White-shoe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white-shoe. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share