CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today issued the following statement after a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration’s executive order targeting the law firm Jenner & Block LLP is unconstitutional and entered a permanent injunction blocking the administration from enforcing the order. Since taking office, President Trump has issued unconstitutional executive orders targeting several law firms that have represented or employed political opponents of the administration or have expressed viewpoints disfavored by the administration.
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In April, Raoul co-led a coalition of attorneys general filing an amicus brief in support of Jenner & Block’s lawsuit challenging the order.
“I am pleased the court recognized that this executive order is blatantly unconstitutional and has barred the Trump administration from enforcing it. Allowing a U.S. President to punish law firms based on who they employ or represent is not only unconstitutional, but it is also a dangerous step towards authoritarianism. This effort to silence dissent by depriving access to counsel violates First Amendment rights, right to counsel principles and undermines the rule of law
“I am urging other law firms to stand strong in the face of intimidation and threats by the Trump administration. You will not stand alone. I will continue to join my fellow attorneys general in asking the courts to block these orders and defend the legal profession from political retribution. As my state’s chief legal officer, I stand with my colleagues in the legal community, in Illinois and across the country, who stay true to the ideals and values of our profession.”
In addition to filing an amicus brief in support of Jenner & Block’s lawsuit, Raoul co-led a coalition of attorneys general in filing an amicus brief supporting Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP’s legal challenge to an executive order targeting that firm. In March and April, Raoul co-led attorneys general in issuing open letters to the legal community warning of illegal attempts by the Trump administration to deter lawyers from challenging the administration’s actions or representing clients disfavored by the administration. Raoul also coined an op-ed published in Crain’s Chicago Business urging the legal community to stand strong in light of Trump’s actions.
