Law Firm Targeting EOs
7 proceedings tracked · Active
Beginning in early 2025, President Trump issued executive orders revoking the security clearances of attorneys at law firms that represented political opponents or took positions adverse to the administration. The orders also directed federal agencies to terminate contracts with those firms. Major firms, including Perkins Coie, WilmerHale, and Covington & Burling, filed suit arguing the orders are unconstitutional viewpoint-based retaliation in violation of the First Amendment and violate the separation of powers by weaponizing executive contracting authority against the legal profession.
Law Firm Targeting EOs
Case No. 1:25-cv-00716
Perkins Coie D.D.C. challenge to the executive order revoking firm attorneys' security clearances and terminating government contracts; court issued a preliminary injunction and the case has reached a decided disposition.
Law Firm Targeting EOs
Case No. 1:25-cv-00916
WilmerHale D.D.C. challenge to the firm-targeting executive order, finding First Amendment success on the merits before reaching a decided final disposition.
Law Firm Targeting EOs
Case No. 1:25-cv-00917
Companion firm-targeting challenge by a second large law firm filed the same day as the WilmerHale suit; reached a decided disposition on equivalent First Amendment grounds.
Law Firm Targeting EOs
Case No. 1:25-cv-01107
Covington & Burling D.D.C. challenge that reached a decided disposition, contributing to the emerging circuit precedent that viewpoint-based contract termination is unconstitutional.
Law Firm Targeting EOs
Case No. 1:25-cv-10947
Massachusetts firm-targeting challenge in the First Circuit raising parallel First Amendment and separation-of-powers claims against security-clearance revocations.
Law Firm Targeting EOs
Case No. 1:25-cv-01124
Active D.D.C. law-firm targeting challenge raising claims about the coercive effect of the EO on firms that settled rather than litigated, as an unconstitutional chilling of legal representation.
Law Firm Targeting EOs
Case No. 1:25-cv-01888
June 2025 firm-targeting challenge filed as additional law firms were subjected to clearance revocations and contract terminations, expanding the scope of the litigation cluster.