A federal judge on Friday permanently blocked an executive order by former President Donald Trump that targeted prominent law firm Perkins Coie, declaring it unconstitutional and a direct attack on core democratic principles.
US District Judge Beryl Howell issued a sweeping 102-page ruling finding the executive order violated the First, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments, including protections for free speech, due process, and the right to counsel.
The order had suspended security clearances for Perkins Coie employees, barred its attorneys from federal buildings, and terminated the firm's government contracts.
“This action draws from a playbook as old as Shakespeare,” Howell wrote, referencing the quote “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.”
She called the executive order “unprecedented retaliation” against a law firm for representing political opponents.
The Trump administration claimed Perkins Coie posed a national security risk due to its connection with Fusion GPS, the research firm behind the 2016 Russia dossier.
But Judge Howell rejected that justification, citing Trump’s public hostility toward the firm and the sweeping impact of the order — which affected everyone from attorneys to mailroom staff.
Perkins Coie was the first law firm formally targeted under Trump’s broader campaign against legal entities perceived as hostile.
At least three other firms have challenged similar orders and received temporary injunctions. Howell’s ruling is the first permanent block.
Perkins Coie hailed the decision as a win for the rule of law and legal independence. “This ruling affirms core constitutional freedoms,” the firm said in a statement.
The Justice Department has not yet commented. The ruling is expected to be appealed to the US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
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