TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on May 15, 2026

U.S. appeals court judges in Washington, D.C., yesterday questioned whether President Donald Trump’s executive orders targeting four law firms were a defensible use of his authority. Paul Clement, representing the firms, argued the orders violated the First Amendment and the separation of powers clauses of the constitution. Government lawyers argued that law firm decisions to hire attorneys, who in the president’s view had acted improperly, were not constitutionally protected. Four lower courts earlier struck down the orders against Perkins Coie, Jenner & Block, WilmerHale and Susman Godfrey as unconstitutional. The orders targeted lawyers’ access to government buildings and security clearances as well as law firm clients’ government contracts. Bloomberg Law reports on the proceeding.