Trump Administration in Court

[GoCubsGo]

There's been an average of two lawsuits filed against the DonOld administration every day, a new record.

Many, many more to come

Pam Blondi is never gonna investigate and prosecute criminals, she's way too busy.

[Vrede too]

There's been an average of two lawsuits filed against the DonOld administration every day, a new record.

Many, many more to come

Pam Blondi is never gonna investigate and prosecute criminals, she's way too busy.


https://bsky.app/profile/lawofruby.bsky ... 7vqdnss22s

Good on Perkins Coie! The firms that caved in should be ashamed and I hope there are consequences for their cowardice.

Supreme Court Justice Gets Standing Ovation for Breaking Cover to Attack Trump

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson received a standing ovation on Thursday after denouncing the Trump administration’s “relentless attacks” on federal judges, calling them a threat to the rule of law.

“ Across the nation, judges are facing increased threats of not only physical violence, but also professional retaliation just for doing our jobs,” Jackson told a conference of judges in Puerto Rico. “And the attacks are not random. They seem designed to intimidate those of us who serve in this critical capacity.”

Although she did not mention Donald Trump by name, Jackson’s remarks were addressed to “the elephant in the room” following repeated attacks on the judiciary by the president and his allies. Her 18-minute denunciation is the strongest statement yet by any member of the Supreme Court since the start of Trump’s second term.

... Several judges have faced a slew of “intimidation tactics” designed to send a message that their home addresses are publicly known, including a New Jersey judge who received a pizza addressed to her murdered son....

“The attacks are also not isolated incidents,” Jackson told the assembled judges on Thursday night. “That is, they impact more than just individual judges who are being targeted. Rather, the threats and harassment are attacks on our democracy, on our system of government and they ultimately risk undermining our Constitution and the rule of law,” Politico reports.



She added: “ A society in which judges are routinely made to fear for their own safety or their own livelihood due to their decisions is one that has substantially departed from the norms of behavior that govern a democratic system.

“Attacks on judicial independence is how countries that are not free, not fair, and not rule of law oriented, operate.”

Jackson received a standing ovation from the room of legal insiders. She pointed to similar attacks on judges who issued controversial rulings during the Civil Rights Movement and the Watergate scandal.

“Other judges have faced challenges like the ones we face today, and have prevailed,” she said....

[Vrede too]

Good on Perkins Coie! The firms that caved in should be ashamed and I hope there are consequences for their cowardice.

My wish come true:

Major Companies Abandon Law Firms That Signed Deals with Trump: Report

... The WSJ reported on a legal luncheon at Manhattan's Cipriani restaurant in May, where Brooke Cucinella, a top lawyer at the hedge-fund Citadel, told other lawyers present that they like working with lawyers who don't run from a fight.

Not only are firms that struck deals losing clients, but those actively challenging the Trump administration in court are attracting new corporate business, per the WSJ.

... Law firms which chose to sign deals with the administration are not only facing financial stress due to a reported drop in clients, but are also facing internal protest and resignations.

Partners and associates at firms including Paul Weiss, Kirkland & Ellis, Skadden, Simpson Thacher, and others, expressed anger and frustration over what they perceived as a retreat from defending the firm's independence.

Four senior partners at Paul Weiss, one major firm which reached a settlement with the Trump administration, have quit to form their own firm.

Heroes.

The law firms that challenged the administration's orders—Jenner & Block, Perkins Coie, WilmerHale, and Susman Godfrey—noted an influx of business from large companies seeking to reward their stance, according to interviews the WSJ carried out with general counsels at multiple corporations.

Judges have blocked or struck down Trump's orders against WilmerHale, Jenner & Block, and Perkins Coie, calling them unconstitutional acts of retaliation

Jenner & Block was targeted "because of the causes Jenner champions, the clients Jenner represents, and a lawyer Jenner once employed," ruled U.S. District Judge John Bates.

Bates, appointed by former President George W. Bush wrote, "Going after law firms in this way is doubly violative of the Constitution," adding that the administration sought to "chill legal representation" it didn't like.

What People Are Saying

... Jenner & Block, said in a statement in March: "[Making a deal with the White House would mean] compromising our ability to zealously advocate for all of our clients and capitulating to unconstitutional government coercion, which is simply not in our DNA."

What Happens Next

Judicial challenges to Trump's executive orders are ongoing, with courts so far siding with law firms that mounted legal opposition.

Corporate clients, meanwhile, are expected to continue evaluating their legal relationships based on firms' responses to government pressure, with many indicating a sustained preference for firms seen as maintaining independence.

[Vrede too]

Trump Is Four-Times a Loser as Judge Blocks ‘Big Law’ Attack

A judge has slapped down President Donald Trump’s punitive executive orders targeting law firms for a fourth time.

District Court Judge Loren AliKhan, appointed by former President Joe Biden, ruled that Trump’s order targeting law firm Susman Godfrey “violates the US Constitution and must be permanently enjoined,” Business Insider reported.

“In the ensuing months, every court to have considered a challenge to one of these orders has found grave constitutional violations and permanently enjoined enforcement of the order in full,” AliKhan wrote in the Friday ruling, adding, “Today, this court follows suit.”

AliKhan is the fourth judge to rule against Trump after the MAGA president unleashed a flurry of executive orders in February and March directed at large law firms such Paul Weiss, Perkins Coie, and Covington & Burling, among others, alleging they weaponized the judicial system against him....

'Not a safe option': Top law firm that capitulated to Trump faces crisis

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison has become a lightning rod for criticism across the legal world, as its decision to strike a deal with the Trump administration triggered a wave of high‑profile departures and fueled concerns that elite law firms are caving to political pressure, Politico reported Sunday....

The law firm ultimately negotiated directly with the White House to lift an executive order that would have revoked security clearances, barred access to federal buildings, and jeopardized government contracts.

Since then, at least 10 partners — many aligned with litigation practices and Democratic causes — have resigned, per the Politico report. Four of those departed to form a new firm representing tech giants such as Meta and Google , while another lateraled to a firm that fought the White House in court.

The deal, which included pledges to abandon DEI initiatives and provide $40 million in pro bono work supporting administration priorities, has been widely condemned as a betrayal of principle.

Elizabeth Grossman, former Paul Weiss associate and executive director of Common Cause Illinois, told Politico: “They made a calculated decision…They were thinking about their bottom line… I think what we’ve seen is that they made the wrong decision."

Throughout Big Law, the deal has been interpreted as a signal that some firms are willing to compromise their ethical standards for self‑preservation.

Paul Weiss, once celebrated for representing clients in high‑impact cases — including challenges to Trump administration policies — now stands accused of surrendering to political coercion....

“I don’t really see a situation where a student would choose Paul, Weiss over any of its peers that didn’t have a similar fallout. Even if you’re just thinking pragmatically and you’re not really tied to the morality of it all, it’s just very clear Paul, Weiss is not a safe option compared to the others," Malcolm said.