Two major law firms sue Trump administration over executive orders targeting them

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: NPR

March 28, 2025 11:13 AM ET


Two major law firms are taking the Trump administration to court on Friday, seeking to block executive orders that the firms say target them for zealous representation of clients and their hearty pro bono work.

The lawsuit by the Jenner & Block firm, filed in federal district court in Washington, D.C., alleges violations of the First Amendment guarantees to free speech and free association. It also alleges the order violates the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment by hurting the firm's ability to practice law; and violates the Sixth Amendment, for undermining the relationship between attorneys and their clients, and clients' right to lawyers of their choosing.

A separate lawsuit by the WilmerHale law firm said the executive action Trump took on Thursday punishes the firm for employing former special counsel Robert Mueller and other public servants who worked alongside him. WilmerHale's lawsuit said the White House is retaliating against it for representing the Democratic National Committee, the campaigns of Democratic politicians Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, and for suing the administration this year over its firing of several inspectors general.

The lawsuits come after President Trump signed executive orders this week, which attempted to restrict both firms' access to federal buildings, yank any active security clearances held by its personnel, and direct government employees not to meet with the firm or its members.

Read more: https://www.npr.org/2025/03/28/g-s1-56890/law-firms-sue-trump

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Link to FILING (PDF) - https://static1.squarespace.com/static/67d4400d37a2b91e3aba58d5/t/67e69ee67a2e4516b4a3d748/1743167207551/Complaint.pdf

[GoreWon2000]

1. It's about time these law firms fight back!

[Septua]

5. Trump and Bondi can't bulldoze the entire Legal Profession

[GoreWon2000]

14. I hope not

[onenote]

16. The first two firms hit with these orders did fight back.

Covington and Perkins both filed suit. Paul Weiss and Skadden caved (Skadden before any order was issued). Now Wilmer and Jenner have sued.

[GoreWon2000]

19. It's my understanding that Jenner caved.

[onenote]

22. Your "understanding" is wrong.

Jenner has not caved. In fact, it won a temporary restraining order. I would be shocked if it ever "caved." I'm a Wilmer alumni, having been an associate there in the 70s and 80s, and I have many friends at Jenner.

You should self-edit or delete your factually incorrect posts.

[generalbetrayus]

2. Gee, who would have ever thought going after a prominent, influential, undoubtedly wealthy law firm

would result in it meekly giving in to an obviously illegal EO.

[Henry203]

3. I know both firms well

I met with Jenner last week. I was part of the people who worked with Wilmer on ediscovery. All these firms are outstanding firms. I was just at legal Week in NYC. Qe all work with these firms and I ahe found them to be outstanding firms. Oe of my friends is Henry Asbill. He is a very liberal and he defended Governor Bob McConnell of Virginia. He won the case against the DOJ. Firms will defend people who pay them .

[GoreWon2000]

15. Jenner's bowing to

dictator tRump is disgusting. It spits on the graves of every previous generation of Americans who fought and died to establish and defend the democratic principles tRump is now trying to wipe out. What's at stake here is about s much more than money. For money to be Jenner's only concern is unacceptable on every level.

[Henry203]

17. You are mistaken

Jenner hired Cooley.

[GoreWon2000]

18. Refusing to fight back against a dictator

is offensive and that's what Jenner did. There's no sugar coating what Jenner did and they should be called out for it.

[Henry203]

20. I think you are thinking of Paul Weiss

This is my business. I work in big legal. I don't think you know. Jenner is fighting it and they hired Cooley who I also know quite well.

[GoreWon2000]

21. Thanks for the correction

Someone else must've wrongly said Jenner and I picked up on that. Lets hope that the rest of big legal continues to fight back. This is what Jeb Bush did in 2000. Jeb threatened law firms in Florida who did business with the state of Florida would lose their Florida state business if they took Al Gore's case. This is a clear example of history repeating itself.

[Martin68]

4. They should all fight back.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

6. MaddowBlog-White House targets a law firm that Trump believes 'rewarded' Robert Mueller

According to Trump, Mueller exonerated him in the Russia scandal. With this in mind, why punish the firm that employed him?
https://bsky.app/profile/stevebenen.com/post/3llh4junq3227

The funny* thing is, Trump has (falsely) claimed that Robert Mueller exonerated him in the Russia scandal. If so, why would the White House feel the need to retaliate against the law firm that employed him?

* not actually ...

Link to tweet

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/white-house-targets-law-firm-trump-believes-rewarded-robert-mueller-rcna198546

The list is still growing. NBC News reported:

Trump signed an executive order today suspending the security clearances for employees at the law firm Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP which previously employed Robert Mueller, a special counsel who led the Russia investigation after the 2016 presidential election.

The president’s directive accused the firm of, among other things, engaging in “obvious partisan representations.” Just as notably, the White House said in a statement that WilmerHale “rewarded” the former special counsel, whose investigation, in Trump’s estimation, “epitomizes the weaponization of government.”

Right off the bat, it’s important to emphasize just how utterly bonkers these circumstances are. There is no precedent in the American tradition of a White House punishing a private law firm because it hired a lawyer the sitting president does not like. This is not the sort of thing that is supposed to happen in a healthy and free democratic country.

Complicating matters, the idea that Mueller is some kind of super villain is so preposterous that it’s unsettling to see the White House put such a claim in writing. Mueller is, after all, a decorated Marine combat veteran, a lifelong Republican and the former director of the FBI.

Yes, he also oversaw an investigation into the Russia scandal, but (a) the scandal was real and serious, even if Trump pretends otherwise; (b) Mueller did nothing wrong before, during or after the probe; (c) serving as a special counsel does not mean a lawyer should be blacklisted for life; (d) Mueller was appointed by the Trump administration, which makes it hilarious to see Trump characterize his work as an example of “weaponization”; and (e) the president has spent the last several years claiming that Mueller cleared him of any wrongdoing in the scandal......

As for the larger context, not every major law firm is responding to the White House’s offensive the same way. One has already caved, and another appears prepared to caved preemptively to avoid a presidential attack.

That said, one of the targeted firms is challenging a Trump order in court, and just hours ago, two more firms filed separate lawsuits seeking to block enforcement of the president’s directive.

Trump boasted publicly earlier this week about law firms caving to his demands and giving the White House what it wants, but as things stand, not every firm is bending the knee.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. "the former director of the FBI."

And one who not only served a full 10-year term but where Obama went to Congress to allow an extension of that term beyond the 10 years - i.e, for 2 more years.

Senate votes to confirm Mueller for 2 more years

[LetMyPeopleVote]

8. Judge Says He Is Inclined to Grant WilmerHale Restraining Order

This makes me smile
https://bsky.app/profile/tainoboricua.bsky.social/post/3llhvg3oqfc2t

Link to tweet

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and-practice/judge-says-he-is-inclined-to-grant-wilmerhale-restraining-order

A DC federal judge on Friday said he is inclined to grant WilmerHale a temporary restraining order against a Trump administration executive order, though there’s a question as to how broad it will be.

Judge Richard Leon of the US District Court for the District of Columbia said he will make his decision in a couple of hours.

WilmerHale filed a lawsuit earlier Friday, saying President Donald Trump’s order restricting security clearances for lawyers and scuttling contracts for the firm and its clients is unconstitutional. Trump issued the order Thursday, making WilmerHale the fifth major law firm the White House attacked in the last month.

The president targeted the firm over its ties to Robert Mueller, the former special counsel who led a probe into the 2016 Trump campaign’s alleged coordination with Russian state officials. “Mueller’s investigation epitomizes the weaponization of government,” Trump said in the order.

President George W. Bush appointed Judge Leon to the bench.

A judge on March 12 temporarily barred the administration from enforcing parts of a Trump executive order targeting Perkins Coie.

[Mz Pip]

9. This is how it's done.

Don’t roll over. Fight back.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

10. Statement from Jenner & Block, one of the firms suing trump

Like Joyce Vance, this statement made me smile

Link to tweet

[LetMyPeopleVote]

11. I heard from Rachel that Jenner & Block got an injunction

This makes me smile

Link to tweet

[Paladin]

12. Good! (nt)

[LetMyPeopleVote]

13. These two rulings male me happy

Link to tweet