Sat Apr 05 01:14:18 UTC 2025: ## Over 500 Law Firms Rally Behind Perkins Coie in Fight Against Trump’s Executive Orders
**Washington D.C.** – A coalition of over 500 law firms is backing Perkins Coie LLP in its legal battle against President Trump’s executive orders targeting the firm and others. The orders, which revoke security clearances and block access to federal buildings, are viewed as an attempt to punish firms representing individuals and causes the President opposes.
The Trump administration’s actions have been described as a campaign of “draconian punishment” in an amicus brief filed Friday. The brief alleges that the administration is attempting to intimidate law firms into submission by threatening their survival and scaring away clients. Perkins Coie, along with WilmerHale, Paul Weiss, and Jenner & Block, have all been targeted by these orders, with accusations ranging from participating in the “destruction of bedrock American principles” to engaging in “conduct detrimental to critical American interests.”
The executive orders specifically cite Perkins Coie’s representation of Hillary Clinton and WilmerHale’s employment of former FBI Director Robert Mueller, whose investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election was strongly opposed by Trump.
While some firms, including Paul Weiss, Skadden, Milbank, and Willkie Farr & Gallagher, have reportedly made deals with the administration, often involving significant pro bono work in exchange for the lifting of sanctions, Perkins Coie is actively challenging the orders in court. The firm, along with WilmerHale and Jenner & Block, argues that the executive orders represent unconstitutional violations of free speech and due process.
The amicus brief emphasizes the gravity of the situation, stating that the orders pose a “grave threat to our system of constitutional governance and to the rule of law itself.” It highlights the historical precedent of lawyers representing unpopular clients, citing John Adams’ defense of British colonists as an example of upholding the principle of equal justice. The brief concludes with a plea for a permanent injunction against the executive orders, warning that the judiciary’s inaction could normalize this type of governmental overreach. The Cato Institute and the American Civil Liberties Union have also filed amicus briefs in support of the challenged firms.
First Piper 