← All Cases

Perkins Coie, LLP v. Department of Justice

No. 1:25-cv-00716 District · Decided Decided
Court
D.D.C.
dcd
Decided
May 5, 2025
Filed
Mar 11, 2025
Judge (CL)
Beryl A. Howell
Filed (CL)
Mar 11, 2025
CL Status
terminated

Case Overview

Trump issued an executive order targeting Perkins Coie — stripping the firm's security clearances, barring its lawyers from federal buildings, and threatening its clients' government contracts — because the firm had represented Democrats and investigated Trump. A federal judge struck the order down as an unconstitutional attempt to punish lawyers for their clients. The case raised a question that cuts to the foundation of the legal system: can the government effectively destroy a law firm by making its clients radioactive, without ever charging anyone with anything?

The Conclusion

**Federal judge struck down the executive order as unconstitutional retaliation.** The court found that targeting Perkins Coie's security clearances, federal access, and clients' contracts based on the firm's representation of Democrats and investigation of Trump violated constitutional protections against punishment for legal advocacy. The decision reaffirmed that the government cannot destroy a law firm through collateral damage to its clients.

Don't miss the next one
Subscribe on Substack ↗ Watch on YouTube ↗

Docket

CourtListener ↗

Outcome History (3)

  1. Apr 30, 2025 District
    Voluntarily dismissed Settled Final

    Notice of Voluntary Dismissal of Fannie Mae and William J. Pulte.

  2. May 2, 2025 District
    Summary judgment granted Full relief Final

    Granting plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment & Declaratory & Permanent Injunctive Relief and denying the government's Renewed Motion to Dismiss & for Expedited Judgment.

  3. May 2, 2025 District
    Dismissed Neutral Final

    Case closed after granting plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment & Declaratory & Permanent Injunctive Relief.

Federal Court TMR-171b2ea5 Law Firm Targeting EO May 18, 2026
Permanent link t.brynodc.com/TMR-171b2ea5
Subscribe on Substack ↗

This tracker is maintained by BrynoDC and is free because readers fund it. Support