Law firms urge appeals court to keep blocking Trump’s sanctions against them
President Trump’s legal battle to sanction four major law firms—Perkins Coie, Jenner & Block, Susman Godfrey, and WilmerHale—continues after an appellate court heard arguments Thursday on whether to uphold lower-court decisions blocking the sanctions. The firms targeted attorneys who had opposed Trump or been associated with prosecutors who investigated the president. Paul Clement, representing the law firms, argued the executive orders violate the First Amendment and “strike at the heart of the rule of law,” while the Trump administration contended the courts overstepped their authority. Trump’s sanctions include suspending security clearances, terminating federal contracts, and barring employees from federal buildings. The three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has not yet announced a ruling.