Donald Trump · Republican · Executive Order

Executive Orders Targeting Law Firms (Perkins Coie, Paul Weiss & others)

Mar 2025
Donald TrumpJustice & Civil LibertiesExecutive OrderEO 14230Second term (2025–)
📜 View the official record — Executive Order 14230 on federalregister.gov

What happened

Issued a series of orders stripping security clearances and federal access from specific law firms tied to political opponents or investigations of the President; some firms struck deals, others sued.

How it happened

Individual executive orders naming firms (e.g., Perkins Coie, Paul Weiss, Jenner & Block, WilmerHale, Susman Godfrey).

Documented impact

Negative impactsubstantiated
Multiple orders were struck down by federal courts as unconstitutional.
Judges found orders targeting firms over their clients/speech violated the First Amendment and due process.
Mixed impactsubstantiated
Several firms preemptively settled with the administration.
Some firms pledged pro bono work and policy changes to avoid sanctions, drawing criticism over the rule of law.

Sources

Every claim above links to its source. Primary record and cited reporting: