President Donald Trump waves outside the Oval Office as he arrives at the White House, Sunday, April 27, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Another federal judge expresses skepticism over Trump law firm executive orders
WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 Another federal judge in Washington has expressed skepticism on the legality of President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting a prominent law firm, saying he was concerned that the clear purpose of the edict was punishment.
President Donald Trump waves outside the Oval Office as he arrives at the White House, Sunday, April 27, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 Another federal judge in Washington has expressed skepticism on the legality of President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting a prominent law firm, saying he was concerned that the clear purpose of the edict was punishment.
U.S. District Judge John Bates had already temporarily halted the Trump administration’s executive order against the firm of Jenner & Block but heard arguments Monday on a request by the firm to block it permanently. Lawyers for two other firms 鈥 Perkins Coie and WilmerHale 鈥 to judges who appeared receptive to their positions.
Like the other judges, Bates did not immediately rule but repeatedly pushed back against a Justice Department’s claims that the orders against Jenner and other law firms were not meant to punish them. The executive orders have generally imposed the same sanctions against the law firms, including ordering that security clearances of attorneys be suspended, that federal contracts be terminated and that lawyers be barred from accessing federal buildings.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
鈥淚t鈥檚 trying to punish Jenner by stopping the flow of money to Jenner,鈥 Bates said. He later asked: 鈥淚sn鈥檛 it logical that clients are going to be reluctant to engage Jenner & Block if they know there鈥檚 a real chance that Jenner and Block isn鈥檛 going to be able to go into a federal building or talk to federal agencies?鈥
Justice Department lawyer Richard Lawson said it was premature to make that assessment because guidelines governing how the executive order is to be implemented had not yet come out.
Michael Attanasio, a lawyer who presented arguments on behalf of Jenner & Block, said it was 鈥渟urreal鈥 to listen to the Justice Department’s 鈥渧erbal gymnastics鈥 in rationalizing the order and said
鈥淭his order is designed to do one thing: it鈥檚 designed to punish a law firm because of the cases it take and because of its affiliation with a critic of the president,鈥 Attanasio said. That’s a reference to the fact that the executive order against the firm takes note of the fact that it previously employed Andrew Weissmann, that investigated Trump during his first term.
“All we need to do is read this thing,” Attanasio said. 鈥淚t reeks of unconstitutionality. It should be set aside in its entirety.鈥
Each of the law firms subject to an executive order that has challenged it in court has succeeded in getting it temporarily blocked. Other firms, by contrast, with the White House to avoid getting targeted.
