A legal blow was delivered on Friday when a judge in Washington decided that the executive order signed by President Trump against the law firm Susman Godfrey cannot be allowed under the Constitution. The ruling puts a permanent stop to any attempt by the government to put that order into action.
This judgment from Judge Loren L. AliKhan of the Federal District Court in Washington, D.C., has brought the president’s efforts to control several major law firms to a complete stop, at least for now.
So far, every law firm that took the matter to court has been successful. Four judges have issued strong rulings in favor of the firms, and the Trump administration has not yet tried to reverse any of them.
Judge Describes a Pattern of Political Punishment
Judge AliKhan reached the same conclusion as three of her fellow judges in Washington. She ruled that the Trump administration made deliberate attempts to go after a firm simply because it represented groups that did not support him.
She wrote that the order was one of several that targeted law firms whose legal positions clashed with Trump’s views. She added that every court that has reviewed such orders has found deep violations of constitutional rights and permanently stopped the orders from being enforced.
The four federal judges who ruled against Trump’s orders were appointed by different presidents: George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Joseph R. Biden Jr.
After the latest ruling, Susman Godfrey shared a statement that said the decision supports the right of all Americans to have legal support without fear of being punished for it.
Trump’s Accusation Against Law Firms
The move against Susman Godfrey happened in April, when Trump accused the firm of leading efforts to misuse the country’s legal process and harm the credibility of U.S. elections. This was likely a reference to the firm’s legal work for Dominion Voting Systems, which had filed a major defamation lawsuit against Fox News.
Around that time, Trump issued similar orders aimed at other well-known law firms, including Perkins Coie, WilmerHale, and Jenner & Block. These firms either had connections to top Democrats or employed lawyers who had disagreed with Trump during his first presidency.
The executive orders introduced tough measures such as canceling government contracts with the targeted firms or suspending the security clearances of their lawyers. Judges have since pointed out that these measures were intentionally harsh and aimed at causing serious damage to the firms’ ability to do business.
