Over 500 Law Firms Unite Against Trump’s Executive Orders Targeting Legal Ethics

WASHINGTON, April 4 (Reuters) – More than 500 law firms across the United States have come together to express their opposition against President Donald Trump‘s executive orders that target Perkins Coie LLP and other legal practices. The collective stance was presented in an amicus brief filed on Friday with U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell in Washington, highlighting concerns over an escalating crackdown on the legal profession.

The amicus brief features prominent law firms, including Arnold & Porter, Crowell & Moring, Fenwick & West, and Freshfields US, though many leading firms chose not to participate. The signatories are largely litigation-focused or smaller firms that felt compelled to act in defense of what they described as the integrity of the American legal system.

“Although we do not take this step lightly, our abiding commitment to preserving the integrity of the American legal system leaves us no choice but to join together,” stated the brief.

This filing supports Perkins Coie’s own lawsuit, initiated on March 11, aimed at halting Trump’s executive order, which targets the firm due to its diversity policies and prior legal representation for Hillary Clinton‘s 2016 presidential campaign.

In the brief, attorneys warned, “The looming threat posed by the executive order at issue in this case and others like it is not lost on anyone practicing law in this country today: any controversial representation challenging actions of the current administration now brings with it the risk of devastating retaliation.”

Perkins Coie expressed gratitude for the solidarity shown by the over 500 firms. A spokesperson stated the support is vital in challenging what they view as unconstitutional overreach that threatens the rule of law.

Judge Howell, who presides over Perkins Coie’s case, previously blocked parts of Trump’s directive, labeling it as an “extreme, dangerous and unprecedented” attempt to intimidate legal representatives.

The White House has defended Trump’s orders as lawful exercises of presidential authority, arguing they are necessary to uphold American values. However, the fallout has seen a variety of legal entities, including law professors, small law firms, and bar associations, condemn the administration’s actions.

Five firms targeted by Trump’s orders, including Perkins Coie, WilmerHale, and Jenner & Block, are currently involved in litigation against the administration. Notably, the executive orders aim to revoke federal contracts held by these firms and restrict their lawyers’ access to vital government facilities.

Many firms that opted to negotiate deals with the administration, such as Paul Weiss, Milbank, Willkie Farr & Gallagher, and Skadden Arps, have provided pro bono legal services in exchange for avoiding the executive sanctions. The brief argues that such repercussions threaten not only the legal profession’s integrity but also the clients they serve.

The legal community is increasingly alarmed by this punitive approach, and the stakes are high. The amicus brief asserts, “Unless the judiciary acts decisively now, what was once beyond the pale will in short order become a stark reality.”