Seattle based law firm Perkins Coie said it was “immensely grateful” for the support it received after a federal judge struck down an executive order from President Trump targeting the company on Friday.
Newsweek contacted Perkins Coie and the Department of Justice for comment on Saturday via email and online inquiry form respectively, outside of regular office hours.
Why It Matters
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has introduced a number of executive orders targeting law firms that have either represented his political rivals, or been involved in investigations against him.
This has sparked a series of legal actions, the companies arguing the orders are an unconstitutional restraint on free expression. However a number of other law firms reached deals with the administration to avoid being targeted and have committed a combined total of just under $1 billion in free legal work for causes the president supports.
What To Know
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ruled that Trump’s executive order targeting Perkins Coie, issued on March 6, violated constitutionally enshrined protections for free speech and due process and was thus unlawful.
Trump’s executive order had revoked federal clearance for Perkins Coie employees and instructed federal agencies to cancel contracts with the company. However Howell had already blocked its implementation with a temporary restraining order before her judgment this week.
In his executive order Trump said Perkins Cole was being targeted over its work for the 2016 Hillary Clinton presidential campaign and its diversity hiring practices.
The order said: “The dishonest and dangerous activity of the law firm Perkins Coie LLP (‘Perkins Coie’) has affected this country for decades. Notably, in 2016 while representing failed Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Perkins Coie hired Fusion GPS, which then manufactured a false ‘dossier’ designed to steal an election …
“Perkins Coie racially discriminates against its own attorneys and staff, and against applicants … Perkins Coie publicly announced percentage quotas in 2019 for hiring and promotion on the basis of race and other categories prohibited by civil rights laws.”
Law firms WilmerHale, Susman Godfrey and Jenner & Block have also sued the administration in response to executive orders targeting their activities. In all three cases judges have imposed temporary blocks on the orders while the cases are deliberated.
What People Are Saying
In a statement posted on X Perkins Coie said: “Today, the Court permanently blocked the unlawful Executive Order targeting our firm. This ruling affirms core constitutional freedoms all Americans hold dear, including free speech, due process, and the right to select counsel without the fear of retribution.
“We are pleased with this decision and are immensely grateful to those who spoke up in support of our positions. As we move forward, we remain guided by the same commitments that first compelled us to bring this challenge: to protect our firm, safeguard the interests of our clients, and uphold the rule of law.”
What Happens Next
The Justice Department has the option of appealing Howell’s ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. It is not yet known whether they intend to make such a move.
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