The Daily Fuckup

More than 500 law firms joined an amicus brief on April 4 backing Perkins Coie’s lawsuit against a March 6 executive order from President Donald Trump. The filing is part of a widening fight over the administration’s attempt to penalize the firm through federal action. Perkins Coie’s filings page describes the submission as a 518-firm brief, while the court docket and contemporaneous reporting describe the April 4 filing as signed by roughly 500 firms. ([dockets.justia.com](https://dockets.justia.com/docket/district-of-columbia/dcdce/1%3A2025cv00716/278290?utm_source=openai))

The White House order, titled "Addressing Risks From Perkins Coie LLP," directed agencies to review or restrict a range of dealings with the firm. An Office of Management and Budget memorandum issued the next day said it was implementing that order. Perkins Coie sued in federal court in Washington, arguing the administration was using government power to punish a law firm over its clients and cases. ([whitehouse.gov](https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/M-25-17-OMB-Perkins-Coie-Draft-Memo-v4-Signed.pdf?utm_source=openai))

The April 4 brief casts the dispute as one about whether the government can target lawyers for whom they represent. The signers told the court that if federal power can be used to isolate a law firm because of its work, the result will be fewer lawyers willing to take difficult or unpopular matters. That is the practical concern driving the unusually large coalition behind the filing. ([dockets.justia.com](https://dockets.justia.com/docket/district-of-columbia/dcdce/1%3A2025cv00716/278290?utm_source=openai))

Perkins Coie’s public filings page shows the breadth of the response: law firms, legal networks and individual lawyers have been lining up behind the case since the order came down. The case has become a test of how far a president can go in using executive authority against a private law firm without crossing into retaliation against protected legal advocacy. ([perkinscoiefacts.com](https://www.perkinscoiefacts.com/media-coverage?utm_source=openai))