Overview
- The four firms, which filed their briefs Friday, asked the appeals court to keep in place permanent injunctions against executive orders that singled them out.
- The orders would let the government suspend security clearances, block firm staff from federal buildings, and steer agencies away from hiring the firms.
- The firms argue the measures retaliate for their clients and viewpoints, with WilmerHale calling the orders draconian and Jenner & Block warning that lawyer independence is fundamental to the rule of law.
- The Justice Department tried to drop the appeals in early March before reversing course within a day.
- The government now faces an April 10 reply deadline, with oral argument set for May 14, and the firms’ filings note a separate White House resolution with Paul Weiss that underscores the real-world pressure on large practices.