In yet another aggressive move from the White House, President Donald Trump has slapped restrictions on powerhouse law firm WilmerHale, citing its past connection to Robert Mueller and accusing it of politically motivated legal work. This marks the fifth time Trump has used presidential authority to target major law firms he claims are working against his administration.
The newly issued proclamation doesn’t mince words: WilmerHale is accused of pushing “destructive” immigration and voting-related legal efforts, discriminating based on race, and maintaining close professional ties to Mueller—the former special counsel who led the Russia probe into Trump’s 2016 campaign. Mueller, who retired from WilmerHale in 2021, has not publicly responded.
This latest proclamation mirrors earlier orders, suspending security clearances for the firm’s lawyers, cutting off access to federal officials, and ordering reviews of the firm’s federal contracts. A spokesperson for WilmerHale responded defiantly, calling the move a rehash of a previous Trump directive that a federal judge already blocked. “We look forward to pursuing all appropriate remedies to this unlawful order,” the firm said.
Trump has made no secret of his disdain for firms he believes have politicized the legal system. His administration recently backed off a similar campaign against Paul Weiss after the firm agreed to donate millions in pro bono work to causes aligned with the White House and vowed to uphold “nonpartisan” hiring practices.
Legal heavyweights Covington & Burling, Perkins Coie, and Jenner & Block have all landed on Trump’s hit list, mostly due to their work challenging the administration on issues from transgender rights to government employee dismissals. In WilmerHale’s case, the firm is representing several former inspectors general who allege the Trump administration ousted them illegally.
Legal scholars and industry leaders are sounding alarms. A group of 20 Democratic state attorneys general and the American Bar Association issued warnings this week, calling Trump’s actions a threat to the independence of the legal profession and a chilling message to lawyers considering whether to take on politically sensitive clients.
With over 1,100 attorneys and a marquee Supreme Court practice, WilmerHale represents major clients including Apple, Meta, Tesla, and Harvard University. Despite its size and reputation, it’s now facing a barrage of political firepower from the highest office in the country.
Trump’s actions appear to be as much a campaign message as a legal one—signaling to supporters that he’s battling entrenched legal institutions he sees as hostile. Whether these proclamations hold up in court—or simply add more fuel to an already raging legal-political firestorm—remains to be seen.
