A federal judge in Washington has blocked most of Donald Trump’s executive order targeting law firm Susman Godfrey, citing concerns over the administration’s coercion and abuse of power.
In a ruling issued on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan halted provisions of the directive that threatened to cancel federal contracts held by Susman Godfrey’s clients and restricted access by its lawyers to government buildings and officials.
The judge expressed her dissatisfaction with law firms that have reached agreements with Trump, calling them “capitulating” to his pressure. However, she praised Susman Godfrey for standing up against the order, highlighting the importance of free speech and due process under the US Constitution.
Susman Godfrey represents Dominion Voting Systems in cases challenging false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Trump through widespread voting fraud. The executive order specifically targets lawyers because of their clients, with AliKhan labeling it a “shocking abuse of power.”
Nine law firms have reached agreements with Trump since February, pledging hundreds of millions of dollars in free legal work to causes he supports and committing to hire based on merit.
The judge cautioned that firms making deals with the administration may still be targeted in the future. Susman Godfrey sued the administration on Friday, arguing that the order violated their rights under the Constitution.
The ruling follows previous blocks of Trump’s orders against Perkins Coie, WilmerHale, and Jenner & Block, which found the lawsuits against the administration likely to succeed.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/law-firm-susman-godfrey-asks-judge-block-trump-executive-order-2025-04-15