Overview
- On Monday, the Justice Department asked to voluntarily dismiss its appeals of four district-court rulings that struck down executive orders targeting Perkins Coie, WilmerHale, Jenner & Block, and Susman Godfrey as unconstitutional.
- On Tuesday, the department filed to withdraw that dismissal and continue the appeals, notifying the firms, which objected; the appellate court has not yet ruled on the procedural dispute.
- The lower-court injunctions remain in effect after judges found the orders violated constitutional protections and sought to revoke security clearances, bar access to federal buildings, and threaten clients’ government contracts.
- Nine other major firms previously reached agreements with the White House, collectively pledging roughly $940 million in pro bono services to avert similar directives, illustrating the continuing chill across the industry.
- Separate, related matters persist, including a D.C. Circuit appeal over the attempted revocation of whistleblower attorney Mark S. Zaid’s security clearance.