DOJ Abandons Defense of Orders Targeting Law Firms

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The DOJ has moved to voluntarily dismiss appeals challenging rulings that blocked Trump's executive orders targeting law firms. The orders aimed to punish firms that represented Trump's perceived foes or took on cases he disliked, but four firms successfully challenged the orders as unconstitutional. The Trump administration has now abandoned its effort to defend the orders, effectively admitting defeat.

Why it matters

This decision marks a significant defeat for the Trump administration's attempts to punish law firms for their political stances and the clients they represent. It underscores the importance of the rule of law and the independence of the legal profession, which was threatened by Trump's actions.

The details

Trump issued executive orders last year targeting multiple law firms, seeking to strip them of government contracts and bar their employees from government buildings and jobs. Four firms - WilmerHale, Jenner & Block, Perkins Coie, and Susman Godfrey - sued to challenge the orders, and judges ruled the orders were unconstitutional and retaliatory. The Trump administration had appealed those rulings, but has now abandoned those appeals, effectively admitting defeat.

• Trump issued the executive orders targeting law firms during the initial months of his second term.
• In May 2025, a U.S. District Court judge struck down Trump's order targeting Jenner & Block.
• On March 2, 2026, the DOJ moved to voluntarily dismiss the appeals challenging the rulings blocking Trump's orders.