Executive Orders Targeting Law Firms Trigger Legal Industry Backlash

Starting in early March 2025, President Trump signed executive orders against law firms including Perkins Coie, Paul Weiss and Jenner & Block, citing their past representation of his political opponents or perceived hostility to his administration. The orders suspended security clearances, restricted building access, and directed agencies to review or cancel federal contracts with the firms.

Several firms sued, and by May 2025 a federal judge permanently blocked the Perkins Coie order, calling it an unprecedented attack on the legal system that violated the Constitution. The American Bar Association filed its own suit in June 2025, warning that the orders discouraged attorneys from taking cases against the federal government for fear of retaliation.

Legal scholars described direct presidential action against named law firms as without modern precedent, and the episode became a flashpoint over executive retaliation against the legal profession.