Overview
- WilmerHale, Perkins Coie, Jenner & Block, and Susman Godfrey filed briefs Friday asking the D.C. Circuit to uphold district-court rulings that halted the executive orders.
- The firms argue the orders were retaliation for representing clients and causes the president dislikes, which they say threatens the independence of the bar and the rule of law.
- The challenged measures include canceling federal contracts, blocking firm access to federal buildings, and telling federal employees not to interact with the firms’ lawyers.
- The Justice Department moved to drop the appeals earlier in March before reversing course, and it now must file its reply by April 10 with oral argument set for May 14.
- Nine major firms previously cut deals with the White House, a contrast the plaintiffs cite as evidence of coercive pressure that could chill who lawyers agree to represent.