Judge rules Trump executive order targeting law firm Perkins Coie is unconstitutional

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: CBS News

POLITICS
Judge rules Trump executive order targeting law firm Perkins Coie is unconstitutional

By Melissa Quinn
May 2, 2025 / 6:33 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington -- A federal judge ruled Friday that President Trump's executive order targeting the law firm Perkins Coie is unconstitutional and permanently blocked the administration from enforcing it.

In a 102-page decision, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ruled in favor of the firm and said Mr. Trump's directive that sought to punish it sent the message that "lawyers must stick to the party line, or else."

"Using the powers of the federal government to target lawyers for their representation of clients and avowed progressive employment policies in an overt attempt to suppress and punish certain viewpoints, however, is contrary to the Constitution, which requires that the government respond to dissenting or unpopular speech or ideas with 'tolerance, not coercion,'" Howell wrote.

She found that the executive order violates the First, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments to the Constitution.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/trump-executive-order-perkins-coie-law-firm-unconstitutional/

---

Hat tip, Max-1 🔫+cult(R)☠️ at Joe.My.God.

https://www.joemygod.com/2025/05/white-house-gave-waltz-list-of-jobs-to-choose-from/

White House Gave Waltz List Of Jobs To Choose From
May 2, 2025

https://www.joemygod.com/2025/05/white-house-gave-waltz-list-of-jobs-to-choose-from/#comment-6698792493

Kyle Cheney‬
‪@kyledcheney.bsky.social‬

JUST IN: Judge HOWELL rules forcefully in favor of Perkins Coie against Trump's punitive executive order, comparing him to a Shakespearean character who famously called to "kill all the lawyers" in order to amass power.

ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show...

— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney.bsky.social) 2025-05-02T22:26:17.764Z

JUST IN: Judge HOWELL rules forcefully in favor of Perkins Coie against Trump's punitive executive order, comparing him to a Shakespearean character who famously called to "kill all the lawyers" in order to amass power.

https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2025cv0716-185

— — —

From Chris Geidner:

BREAKING: Federal judge rules that President Donald Trump's executive order targeting the Perkins Coie law firm — the first of several such orders — is unconstitutional and, accordingly, "null and void."

Background at Law Dork on the original TRO in the case: www.lawdork.com/p/perkins-co...

— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner.bsky.social) 2025-05-02T22:52:11.047Z

[Balatro]

1. There is some good news!

savor it while ya can, I guess.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

2. This makes me smile

This makes me smile

Big loss in court for Trump

Federal judge rules President’s executive order targeting law firm Perkins Coie is unconstitutional and permanently blocked the administration from enforcing it.

www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-e...

— Scott MacFarlane (@macfarlanenews.bsky.social) 2025-05-02T22:38:48.036Z

Big loss in court for Trump

Federal judge rules President’s executive order targeting law firm Perkins Coie is unconstitutional and permanently blocked the administration from enforcing it.

Link to tweet

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-executive-order-perkins-coie-law-firm-unconstitutional/

Washington — A federal judge ruled Friday that President Trump's executive order targeting the law firm Perkins Coie is unconstitutional and permanently blocked the administration from enforcing it.

In a 102-page decision, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ruled in favor of the firm and said Mr. Trump's directive that sought to punish it sent the message that "lawyers must stick to the party line, or else."

"Using the powers of the federal government to target lawyers for their representation of clients and avowed progressive employment policies in an overt attempt to suppress and punish certain viewpoints, however, is contrary to the Constitution, which requires that the government respond to dissenting or unpopular speech or ideas with 'tolerance, not coercion,'" Howell wrote.

She found that the executive order violates the First, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments to the Constitution.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

[tblue37]

30. Do we think he will obey?

[onenote]

33. I think they'll probably appeal. I'll be surprised if they get a stay pending appeal

But I've been surprised before.

[JoseBalow]

3. That's nice

Who's gonna do something about it?

[BumRushDaShow]

7. Well it might at least encourage some of the cowardly law firms

to reconsider caving.

[Skittles]

18. I STILL don't understand why they would do that

WHO THE FUCK WOULD HIRE A LAW FIRM THAT CAVES INTO UNCONSTITUTIONAL THREATS??? Makes ZERO sense to me.

[BumRushDaShow]

28. Well their "cloaks" have now been ripped off

and they have been exposed as unreliable (which is why you are having more and more partners/members leaving them).

[mamacita75]

9. Agree

My thought was "and...."

[LetMyPeopleVote]

4. Judge Howell has ruled for Perkins Coie, holding that Donald Trump's executive order targeting the firm was unconstituti

Here is a link to the order

Link to tweet

Some fun reading
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.278290/gov.uscourts.dcd.278290.184.0.pdf

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. Thanks for the link. NT

[LetMyPeopleVote]

8. Here is a link to the 100+ page opinion

Link to tweet

https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2025cv0716-185

[BumRushDaShow]

6. Between Beryl Howell and Amy Berman Jackson

I don't know how they do this day in and day out, week after week, month after month, year after year.

Howell was the Chief Judge of that court until a couple years ago when James Boasberg took over that role (and that's another "familiar" name ).

[LetMyPeopleVote]

10. Here is the link to the 100+ page opinion

Link to tweet

https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2025cv0716-185

[ancianita]

16. 180 pages? For a ruling of constitutionality?

Guess they've got to give SCOTUS a lot to run with.
Or get themselves "confused" about during oral arguments.

[onenote]

27. 102 pages. And the district court had a lot to address

The complaint had at least eight separate counts and the government raised multiple defenses to each count. And then the court had to address the separate elements of the test for granting injunctive relief. Not a surprise that it would be as long an opinion as it is.

[CitizenZero]

11. Righteous Ruling

Good Judge.

[MLWR]

12. Someone needs to clue me in on what he does that is NOT unconstitutional.

[dchill]

13. Is there a Trump executive order that ISN'T unconstitutional?

Could save a lot of time.

[Takket]

14. so this begs the question.......

I saw this on bluesky:

Importantly - if any law firm decides to continue gifting expert pro bono services to protect and effectuate the admin’s violence and destruction - this ruling means they’re doing it because they want to. Trump is legally toothless to punish them. Pro bono work provided is support, not compliance.

[littlemissmartypants]

17. Yep. They aren't scared, they're collaborators. ❤️

[PSPS]

24. Exactly.

Willingly giving something of value in the furtherance of a crime (i.e., trump's shakedown,) is, itself, a federal felony. So these legal firms are committing federal felonies by doing this.

[republianmushroom]

15. So donald, shove it.

[Cha]

19. No Shite!

TY

[moniss]

20. Now the ones who capitulated will have that egg on their face and

who would want to do business with lawyers that obviously won't stand up for what is right and legal?

[Bluetus]

21. EVERYTHING Trump is doing is illegal

The President has no power to shut down agencies or end programs that are properly appropriated by Congress. It has no power to deport people without due process, and straight down the line. Unfortunately, Trump has spent his whole life abusing the court system to get away with all sorts of criminal activity. It is gratifying to see so many cases decided on an expedited docket, and practically all of them are coming down against Trump.

But we also need some cases against the extortion/bribery racket Trump has been running with his inauguration scam. He's taken in about a quarter-billion in bribes already. I realize that bribery is usually a criminal offense and this DoJ won't pursue that. But I wonder if there are any civil angles or any angles to prosecute this extortion racket in state courts.

[ailsagirl]

25. It just dumbfounds me that so much time has passed and he's still here

I had naively thought that once the courts were involved, that the lawbreaking would be swiftly resolved.
As it is, it's feels as if we're mired in quicksand. Maybe it's just me.

[maxrandb]

22. Makes it appear that law firms that kissed Donnie Dipshits ass

Were prone to kissing his ass in the first place.

[Bayard]

23. Another judge he'll want impeached, or arrested

I just hope all that rule against him have the courage to keep thumping him.

[33taw]

26. So many of Trump's executive orders have been over turned by the courts - at what point does the court

enter an order stopping him from issuing executive orders because they are so lame and a total waste of the court's time.

[onenote]

29. That isn't how the judicial system works.

So, to answer the question, at no point.

[33taw]

31. I know. But they do stop frivolous lawsuits and these seem to be no different.

[onenote]

32. Some of Trump's EO's have been upheld. None have been ruled "frivolous"

And the bar for blocking frivolous lawsuits is quite high.

As much as we might want him to be barred from issuing, its never going to happen and we should focus on the do-able.

[33taw]

34. I was just annoyed and know that it is not a possibility.

I fully understand the Judicial system.