Trump Administration Reverses Course, Renews Defense of Executive Orders Targeting Law Firms

The Trump administration abruptly reversed course on March 4, 2026, announcing it would continue defending executive orders that targeted four major law firms: Perkins Coie, WilmerHale, Jenner & Block, and Susman Godfrey. Just one day earlier, the Justice Department had filed to abandon its appeals of these orders, which federal judges had previously blocked. The executive orders were issued to punish firms that represented Trump's perceived enemies or took on cases he opposed, including restrictions on federal contracts and security clearances. The American Bar Association characterized the flip-flop as evidence of Trump's continuing 'intimidation policy' against the legal profession. The sudden reversal came in a filing to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, demonstrating the administration's erratic approach to governance and its willingness to weaponize executive power against legal adversaries.

"The Trump administration's sudden reversal in its fight over executive orders targeting law firms shows the president is continuing his 'intimidation policy'" — Statement from the American Bar Association characterizing the administration's March 4, 2026 reversal after abandoning appeals just one day earlier