Special Poll
A federal judge has permanently blocked an executive order issued by Donald Trump that targeted the law firm Perkins Coie. The March 6 order had canceled the firm’s federal security clearance and directed all federal agencies to terminate existing contracts with the firm. Trump cited Perkins Coie’s past work with Hillary Clinton during the 2016 campaign and criticized the firm’s diversity hiring practices as reasons for the order.
In response, Perkins Coie filed a lawsuit, warning that the order set a dangerous precedent in which any law firm representing clients or causes that challenge the Trump administration could be exposed to severe government retaliation.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ruled the executive order unconstitutional on multiple grounds and ordered it permanently voided. In her 102-page opinion, Howell wrote that no U.S. president had ever taken such action against a private law firm in this way, referencing a line from Shakespeare’s Henry VI: “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” She used the quote to underscore what she described as the unprecedented and targeted nature of the executive order.
Last month, over 500 law firms and legal organizations submitted a brief supporting Perkins Coie’s legal challenge. In that filing, they warned that Trump’s actions posed a significant threat to the rule of law and to the constitutional balance between the presidency and the legal profession.
Trump’s administration has taken similar steps against other firms perceived to be adversarial. Some of these firms have pushed back in court, while others have chosen to settle or modify their practices to avoid further conflict. In March, Paul Weiss became the first to strike an agreement with the Trump administration, committing $40 million in pro bono legal services for causes supported by the president and agreeing to terminate its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Since then, several other firms have followed suit.