Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark has joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general in an open letter condemning what they describe as unconstitutional executive orders from President Trump that target law firms representing clients and causes disfavored by his administration.
The letter, addressed to the legal community, supports law firms that have pushed back against the Trump Administration’s alleged attempts to intimidate attorneys through retaliation and coercion. It also expresses disappointment in major law firms that, according to the coalition, have caved under pressure by striking deals to provide free legal services aligned with Trump’s political priorities.
“An attorney zealously advocates for her client, even if the arguments in the case are unpopular. That’s Lawyering 101,” said Vermont Attorney General Clark. “President Trump’s executive orders threaten lawyers that he will retaliate against them if they represent the opposition. I would encourage my fellow lawyers to remember their professional obligations and remain steadfast against threats like these.”
“The president’s order is illegal — yet again — and a direct attack on the right to legal representation,” Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown said. “The Constitution and America’s defining values of fairness are both at risk under these actions.”
“The Trump administration cannot dictate which clients or issues law firms represent and support,” said New York Attorney General James. “These vindictive Executive Orders targeting law firms are a gross abuse of power and undermine our democracy and our Constitution. I will continue to use my voice and the force of my office to defend the rule of law and support the law firms bravely challenging these unjust attacks by the Trump administration.”
The attorneys general argue that Trump’s orders violate constitutional protections for free speech, due process, and the right to legal representation. They warn that the executive actions undermine the rule of law and could open the door to authoritarian tactics if left unchallenged.
In response, four law firms—Perkins Coie, Jenner & Block, WilmerHale, and Susman Godfrey—have filed lawsuits and obtained temporary court blocks on the executive orders. Clark and her fellow attorneys general have backed these legal efforts by filing amicus briefs in support of the firms.
“Veterans, elderly Marylanders, and those who live in rural communities all depend on LSC
funding to find help when they have nowhere else to turn—whether they’re fighting to keep their
homes, escape abuse, or simply be heard in a system that too often overlooks them,” said Maryland
Attorney General Brown. “As government resources grow tighter, we must protect services
that ensure no one is left behind in their quest for justice.”
The open letter encourages more law firms and legal professionals to resist pressure from the Trump Administration and to stand in solidarity with those defending legal independence. More than 800 firms and individuals, including general counsels of leading companies, former judges, and law professors, have joined the legal challenge.
Attorneys general from states including California, New York, Michigan, and the District of Columbia also signed the letter, underscoring a broad coalition committed to defending the legal profession’s integrity.
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