WASHINGTON – Following the Trump-Vance administration’s abandonment of its appeals in a series of four cases challenging the president’s executive orders that targeted law firms he didn’t like, Democracy Forward President & CEO Skye Perryman issued the following statement:
“Courage is the new currency, and the government’s withdrawal of their appeals showcases the power of the people and the courts. Every law firm that challenged the president’s executive orders targeting law firms and lawyers won court orders striking down the attacks. These threats were intended to intimidate and inspire fear, but instead they have inspired action and reminded us that when ‘We, the People’ rise to protect our democracy, we can win. The government’s surrender in these cases – like the court decisions that, without exception, have struck down these orders – should motivate every attorney to guard the rule of law and protect people’s rights in America. We will continue to defend the legal profession, the rule of law, the Constitution, and the American people.”
Four private law firms – Perkins Coie, Jenner & Block, WilmerHale, and Susman Godfrey – challenged the administration’s attacks on them, and the administration lost in all four cases at the district court level. Although it appealed the losses, on Monday evening the DOJ filed a motion to dismiss all four appeals.
Since assuming office for his second term, the president has attempted to fire lawyers and watchdogs within the federal government, including those at the Department of Justice (DOJ) who worked to investigate and prosecute those responsible for the violent attack on the nation’s Capitol on January 6, 2021, as well as threatened private firms for their representation of people and issues the president does not like.
In April 2025, Democracy Forward organized thousands of lawyers to send a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, urging her to reject political attacks on attorneys and law firms. The letter represented a broad coalition of legal professionals from conservatives to progressives, united in concern that recent attacks — many stemming from the Project 2025 playbook — are part of an effort to scare people from exercising their right to access the justice system.
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Democracy Forward Foundation is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org.
