A U.S. District Judge has struck down an executive order from former President Donald Trump, ruling that it violated constitutional rights, particularly free speech and due process. The decision marks a significant setback in Trump’s attempts to target law firms he accuses of undermining his presidency and using the legal system against him.
Judge Beryl Howell’s ruling on Friday marks the most substantial legal defeat for the Trump administration in its campaign to punish law firms involved in challenging his actions, representing political adversaries, or participating in investigations into his conduct. Howell criticized the order as an overreach that targeted a law firm for personal reasons, rejecting Trump’s claims of legal justification.
Perkins Coie, the law firm at the center of this dispute, had filed a lawsuit after Trump issued the March 6 executive order, which sought to limit the firm’s access to government resources and potentially jeopardize federal contracts held by its clients. Perkins Coie’s representation of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign, as well as its policies on workplace diversity, appeared to be the focus of Trump’s order.
In her 102-page ruling, Judge Howell called Trump’s actions an attack on the core principles of justice and the role of attorneys in the American legal system. “Settling personal vendettas by targeting a disliked business or individual for punitive government action is not a legitimate use of the powers of the U.S. government or an American President,” Howell wrote.
The ruling has been welcomed by Perkins Coie, which expressed gratitude for the support it received during the legal challenge. “We remain committed to protecting our firm, our clients, and the rule of law,” a spokesperson for the firm said in a statement.
The Justice Department, which defended the executive order, may appeal the ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. In her opinion, Howell compared Trump’s approach to “Let’s kill the lawyers I don’t like,” suggesting that it aimed to silence legal voices critical of his administration.
Other law firms targeted by Trump’s orders, such as WilmerHale, Jenner & Block, and Susman Godfrey, have also sued to block similar directives. Meanwhile, some firms, including Paul Weiss and Latham & Watkins, have reportedly made deals with Trump, pledging significant legal resources in support of his causes.
Perkins Coie had argued that the executive order was a direct response to its political work with the Clinton campaign and its commitment to diversity initiatives, which Trump had framed as discriminatory. Trump’s public criticism of such policies had ignited controversy, with accusations that they unfairly marginalized white employees.
The ruling on Perkins Coie is a major legal victory, reaffirming the principles of free expression and due process at a time when Trump’s actions against his critics have raised serious concerns about the integrity of the justice system.
