Lawyers Strike Back Against Trump Revenge with Blockbuster Suit

The legal world is pushing back hard against what many see as a dangerous move by the Trump administration — and they’re doing it together.

According to the New York Times, more than 500 law firms have joined forces to support a lawsuit filed by Perkins Coie, after the firm was directly targeted by one of Trump’s executive orders. The firms signed an amicus brief arguing that the president’s actions pose “a grave threat to our system of constitutional governance and to the rule of law itself.” In total, 504 companies backed the brief — though notably, none of the nation’s top 20 firms put their name on it.

Perkins Coie filed suit after Trump issued an executive order that threatened the firm’s business, alleging it was being pressured to act in the administration’s interests. A few others have followed suit, while some law firms reportedly gave in to White House demands for free legal work and other favors.

Nearly 10 of the 100 most profitable firms in the country — according to The American Lawyer — did sign the brief. But the Times notes that others may have stayed silent out of fear, not disagreement. The concern? That speaking out might make them Trump’s next target and cost them big clients.

The brief was written by former Obama-era Solicitor General Donald Verrilli and Chicago attorney Nathan Eimer. It warned in no uncertain terms about the long-term consequences of allowing political intimidation to take hold in the legal profession.

“Unless the judiciary acts decisively now, what was once beyond the pale will in short order become a stark reality,” the filing said. “Corporations and individuals alike will risk losing their right to be represented by the law firms of their choice and a profound chill will be cast over the First Amendment right to petition the courts for redress.”

In short, many in the legal field see this moment as a major test — not just of individual firms’ courage, but of the rule of law itself.