Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG) joined more than two dozen civil rights organizations in filing amicus briefs urging the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to block the Trump administration’s executive orders threatening law firms and legal organizations for challenging the administration’s policies.
The briefs—filed in Perkins Coie LLP v. U.S. Department of Justice, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP v. DOJ, and Jenner & Block LLP v. DOJ—underscore how these executive orders violate attorneys’ First Amendment rights, including the right to petition the government and freedom of association.
“These actions are a direct assault on the rule of law and an unprecedented attempt to silence the legal community,” said Traci Feit Love, L4GG Founder & Executive Director. “Lawyers who provide pro bono representation to nonprofit organizations, challenge government overreach, or advocate for vulnerable communities should not face retaliation for doing their jobs. These orders are a dangerous abuse of executive power and must be struck down.”
L4GG, a national nonprofit organization mobilizing over 125,000 legal professionals, regularly partners with law firms across the country to protect democracy, civil rights, and climate justice. The Trump administration’s threats create a chilling effect on legal advocacy, particularly for those representing nonprofits and marginalized communities in litigation challenging unlawful or unconstitutional policies.
“As an organization committed to upholding the Constitution and the rights it guarantees, we will not stand by while the federal government attempts to intimidate those who seek justice through the courts,” Feit Love continued. “The First Amendment protects the right of lawyers and legal advocates to challenge executive overreach. We are proud to stand with our colleagues in defending this core principle of our democracy.”
L4GG joined the briefs alongside organizations including Americans United for Separation of Church and State, American Oversight, Earthjustice, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), Human Rights Campaign, National Women’s Law Center, Southern Environmental Law Center, Transgender Law Center, and others.