Two major law firms urge judges to permanently block Trump's executive orders

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: AP

Updated 4:52 PM EDT, April 23, 2025


WASHINGTON (AP) — Two major law firms asked separate judges Wednesday to permanently block President Donald Trump’s executive orders that were meant to punish them and harm their business operations. The firms — Perkins Coie and WilmerHale — say the orders imposed in March are unconstitutional assaults on the legal profession that threaten their relationships with clients and retaliate against them based either on their past legal representations or their association with particular attorneys whom Trump perceives as his adversaries.

Courts last month temporarily halted enforcement of key provisions of both orders, but the firms asked in court Wednesday for the edicts to be struck down in their entirety and for judges to issue rulings in their favor.

Another firm, Jenner & Block, is scheduled to make similar arguments next week and a fourth, Susman Godfrey, is set to make its case next month. “The entire executive order is retaliatory,” Dane Butswinkas, a lawyer who presented arguments on behalf of Perkins Coie, told a judge.

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell did not immediately rule on the firm’s request, but she repeatedly expressed deep unease over the executive order, signaling that she was inclined to side with Perkins Coie.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/trump-law-firms-perkins-coie-wilmerhale-7dba5f0c38ac547bf3f2bb1f31a2ef38

[J_William_Ryan]

1. Trump the petty despot and dictator

Trump the fascist authoritarian using the power of the state to attack perceived political enemies; Trump’s attacks are not only un-Constitutional, but they’re also illegal, the actions of a fascist thug.

[chouchou]

2. What an itsy, bitsy, tiny little man. You're terrified that people may actually know what you are.

..Better stop them from knowing !!!

[mdbl]

3. Judges need to block all of his EO's

He isn't competent.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

4. I saw some reports of this hearing

This did not go well for the DOJ attorney

[Skittles]

5. I don't understand why ANY law firm is caving

why don't all band together and FIGHT this fascist bullshit???

[BumRushDaShow]

6. "why don't all band together and FIGHT this fascist bullshit???"

Because under normal circumstances, they are "rivals" of each other. Only when you have something like this that they realize threatens the entire field, do they finally set the rivalry aside and band together.

[Skittles]

7. so.....

why are ANY of them submitting to something even the CATO INSTITUTE calls UNCONSTITUTIONAL

[BumRushDaShow]

8. I think the wholesale caving has slowed

as they come out of their zombified states and wake up.

You see the same thing FINALLY happening with the colleges/universities.

It seems the "cave" sentiment has been coming from someone "at the top" of those institutions (law firms or schools or media outlets), where others in there seem to initially defer to them... until they realize how a bad deal it was, and are now starting to protest.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

9. Deadline: Legal Blog-Judge slams DOJ in Perkins Coie lawsuit over 'temper tantrum'

President Donald Trump’s efforts to target law firms he doesn’t like aren’t faring well in court.
https://bsky.app/profile/gypsydaveh.bsky.social/post/3lnj67sf57c2o

Link to tweet

https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/judge-howell-perkins-coie-lawsuit-temper-tantrum-trump-rcna202681

NBC News reported that U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell criticized Justice Department attorney Richard Lawson’s lack of basic information, as well as what she called the DOJ’s “temper tantrum.”

Howell previously granted a temporary restraining order to Perkins Coie, which had argued that Trump’s executive order targeting the firm was “unprecedented” and “unconstitutional from top to bottom.” The president’s March 6 order cited the firm’s “dishonest and dangerous activity” stemming from its association with figures loathed in GOP circles: Hillary Clinton and George Soros. The order sought to restrict the firm’s access to federal buildings and instructed agencies not to engage with its personnel and to terminate contracts held by firm clients.

Howell had previously told government officials to send a memo to agencies telling them about the restraining order. But she didn’t like how they went about it in calling her order “erroneous.” NBC News reported that the Obama appointee said that it struck her as a “temper tantrum” worthy of a 3-year-old, not the Justice Department.

Of course, that’s not what any lawyer want to hear about a client. But beyond the theatrics, the bigger problem is that Howell and other judges are swiftly ruling against the underlying orders, thus far backing the wisdom of the firms that have chosen to fight back.

[FakeNoose]

10. Hah! That's a great idea

While they're doing that, they should trash the whole Project 2025 plan.