The Daily Fuckup

The Justice Department disclosed subpoenas to 14 law firms in the American Bar Association’s lawsuit over the Trump administration’s campaign against law firms. The filing, made public on July 17, said the subpoenas went out on July 1 to firms that had been targeted by executive orders or that later struck deals to avoid them. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/407a8099c8cc2bb235cdac87bb61adf2?utm_source=openai))

The ABA sued on June 16, 2025, accusing the government of using executive orders, letters, memos and public statements to pressure lawyers and law firms to drop clients, causes and positions the president disliked. In its complaint, the ABA said the policy chilled legal representation and threatened the broader justice system. ([americanbar.org](https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2025/06/aba-files-suit-to-halt-govt-intimidation/?login=&utm_source=openai))

The association later pressed the same argument in an amicus brief filed April 2, 2026, telling the D.C. Circuit that the orders retaliated against protected speech and association and violated lawyers’ First Amendment rights. The ABA said the challenged orders had already been blocked in court in several cases. ([americanbar.org](https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2026/04/aba-amicus-brief-law-firms-executive-orders/?utm_source=openai))

According to the July disclosure, the subpoenas seek records tied to the executive orders, along with communications involving Boris Epshteyn. The government also asked for any communications between the firms and the ABA about Epshteyn, making him one of several subjects in the discovery fight rather than the whole case. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/407a8099c8cc2bb235cdac87bb61adf2?utm_source=openai))

The new filings do not settle whether the executive orders were lawful. They do show the Justice Department trying to build its defense with internal records from firms that were either hit directly or made peace with the administration after the orders landed. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/407a8099c8cc2bb235cdac87bb61adf2?utm_source=openai))