Judge Beryl A Howell of the United States District Court in Washington, D.C. has ruled that President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting the law firm Perkins Coie is unconstitutional. The order, which was aimed at the law firm for representing Trump’s Democratic election rival Hillary Clinton, has been declared “unlawful, null and void in its entirety” by the judge. This verdict marks the first time an executive order by Trump targeting a law firm has been permanently nullified. The judge has ordered the Trump administration to halt all investigations against Perkins Coie, reinstate any services that were suspended, and allow the law firm to conduct its business with the government as usual.
In the full 102-page ruling, Judge Howell criticized the executive order as an unprecedented attack on the country’s foundational principles, drawing comparisons to William Shakespeare’s phrase, “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” She argued that Trump’s action is akin to “Let’s kill the lawyers I don’t like,” suggesting that the president’s order was an attempt to target and penalize a law firm for its perceived opposition.
Executive Order 14230, titled “Addressing Risks from Perkins Coie LLP,” was issued by Trump on March 6. It suspended Perkins Coie’s security clearances, restricted its access to government buildings, and directed agencies to end contracts with the firm when possible. Several other law firms, including WilmerHale, Paul Weiss, and Jenner & Block, were also targeted by similar executive orders due to their representation of causes or individuals that Trump had publicly criticized.
Legal experts and critics argued that these orders violated the First Amendment by retaliating against law firms for exercising their right to free speech and the Fifth and Sixth Amendments by denying due process and access to legal counsel. The law firms affected by the order, including Perkins Coie, indicated that their clients were reconsidering their representation due to the restrictions imposed by the executive order.
In response to the executive order, over 500 law firms signed an amicus brief in support of Perkins Coie, arguing that Trump’s actions threatened the very existence of law firms and could deter clients. Judge Howell’s ruling acknowledged these concerns, noting that the law firm had suffered sufficient monetary harm to establish irreparable harm and characterizing the executive order as an overreaction aimed at suppressing and punishing certain viewpoints. She also warned about the potential chilling effect on the entire legal profession, likening it to a power grab aimed at removing a significant obstacle to gaining more power, which is contrary to the principles of the rule of law.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/3/judge-strikes-down-trumps-executive-order-targeting-law-firm-perkins-coie?traffic_source=rss
