Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer
Two federal judges have temporarily blocked efforts from the President Donald Trump to punish the law firms of Jenner & Block and WilmerHale. One judge called the efforts by the Trump administration “disturbing,” and the other judge described it as a “constitutional harm.” With Jenner & Block, federal Judge John Bates issued a temporary restraining order against the Trump administration. He cited violations of free speech and unconstitutional interference with the rights of its clients to select lawyers of their choosing in his decision.
In the case of WilmerHale, federal Judge Richard Leon temporarily blocked a separate executive order against WilmerHale. In a public statement, Leon wrote, “There is no doubt this retaliatory action chills speech and legal advocacy, or that it qualifies as a constitutional harm.” He went on to say, “The injuries to the plaintiff here would be severe and would spill over to its clients and the justice system at large.” Both rulings came after both firms took the Trump administration to court on Friday seeking to block the executive order that they claimed unfairly targeted them for representing their clients.
