Judge Strikes Down Trump Order Against Perkins Coie Law Firm

A federal judge has struck down former President Donald Trump's executive order targeting the law firm Perkins Coie, ruling it unconstitutional and a violation of the First and Fifth Amendments. The executive order sought to revoke the firm's security clearances, bar its attorneys from federal buildings, and cancel federal contracts, citing the firm's representation of Democratic clients, including Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign. Judge Beryl Howell concluded that the order amounted to unlawful political coercion and impermissibly threatened the firm's ability to practice law, marking the first permanent court decision barring Trump from punishing law firms he opposes. The ruling was a significant rebuke of Trump's efforts to use executive power against legal adversaries and underscores judicial checks on retaliatory actions against the legal profession. Other major law firms targeted by similar orders have either successfully challenged them in court or reached settlements to avert such punitive measures.