Trump's War on Law Firms Fails

Plus: Punk rock comptroller, dunking on Pete Hegseth, France embraces Canadian health care, and more...

Judge puts the kibosh on Trump's attempt to silence a law firm: Yesterday, Judge Richard J. Leon of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia struck down President Donald Trump's executive order targeting the law firm WilmerHale. "Judges have already rejected similarly punitive executive orders aimed at the firms Perkins Coie and Jenner & Block, and lawyers representing Susman Godfrey asked a fourth judge earlier this month to issue a final decision in their case," notes The New York Times, but many firms—Willkie Farr & Gallagher; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom; Milbank; Kirkland & Ellis; Latham & Watkins; A&O Shearman; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett; and Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft—have struck deals with the administration, typically forcing them to provide a certain amount of pro bono legal work related to causes that the Trump administration supports.

WilmerHale originally attracted Trump's attention because it had represented "inspectors general alleging that President Trump improperly fired them; the House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means in litigation resulting in President Trump's disclosure of his personal tax returns; the Joe Biden and Kamala Harris campaigns in election litigation; and the Democratic National Committee and state-level Democratic Party organizations in lawsuits brought by the Donald Trump campaign challenging the results of the 2020 presidential election," reads the ruling. And Robert S. Mueller, who led investigations into possible Russian interference in the 2016 election, has also had a longstanding affiliation with WilmerHale, returning to the firm time and time again during breaks from government service over the last 32 years.

Another federal judge STRIKES DOWN Trump's order targeting a law firm for political retribution — this time, using exclamation marks twice in the introduction to emphasize that the executive order is against the Founding Fathers' vision.

Doc https://t.co/p7aOo6wZ5O pic.twitter.com/RhG1ubRbIQ

— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) May 27, 2025

The order would have directed federal agencies to cancel all contracts with WilmerHale and would have barred WilmerHale employees from being hired by the federal government or communicating with government employees. Lawyers with the firm would have been banned from entering any and all federal buildings—including courthouses.

"In his opinion, Judge Leon colorfully dismissed assertions by the government that its targeting of WilmerHale was something routine and apolitical, brushing off the notion with a brusque 'please—that dog won't hunt!'" per The New York Times.

"Taken together, the provisions constitute a staggering punishment for the firm's protected speech," reads the ruling. "The order is intended to, and does in fact, impede the firm's ability to effectively represent its clients! For example, WilmerHale attorneys may not be able to enter federal courthouses for trial, meet with federal regulators, or access classified materials necessary for working on national security matters."

It's a pretty blunt dismissal of Trump's attempt to wield the power of the state against a disfavored law firm. And these attacks on law firms are some of the most egregious antispeech actions yet. "The firms targeted by executive orders and memoranda seem to stand accused of…being lawyers," write Greg Lukianoff and Adam Goldstein on Substack. "That is, providing representation to someone who needed it."

"A president attempting to sanction law firms for nothing more than providing representation to opposing parties undermines the rule of law by acting as an implicit threat to law firms: Help the people who disagree with me, and you're an enemy of the United States," they add.

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Scenes from New York: A wild subheadline: "Justin Brannan, a city comptroller candidate, expressed remorse for decades-old messages where he appeared to use the Columbine shootings to promote his band." (Gotta love the media trend of saying appeared to use when he…totally did the thing that's alleged.)

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QUICK HITS

• "Pete Hegseth Wishes Happy Memorial Day to Covert Marine Operatives Stationed at 15.5527° N, 48.5164° E" (from The Hard Times).
• Inside the rise of "trade crime." Hint: It's a response to tariffs.
• President Trump is now threatening to withhold funds from California, saying the state's government has not complied with the federal executive order barring transgender athletes from competing in women's sports. "Trump posted Tuesday on social media that he would speak to Newsom 'to find out which way he wants to go,'" reports Bloomberg. Trump said, "The athlete, whom he did not name, was competing in a 'State Finals' in a sport he did not specify," and posted on Truth Social that "California, under the leadership of Radical Left Democrat Gavin Newscum, continues to ILLEGALLY allow 'MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN'S SPORTS'….Please be hereby advised that large scale Federal Funding will be held back, maybe permanently, if the Executive Order on this subject matter is not adhered to."
• Unfortunately, France's lower house of parliament passed a bill yesterday that would allow assisted suicide for people facing certain incurable conditions. "The proposed measure on lethal medication defines assisted dying as allowing use under certain conditions so that people may take it themselves," reports the Associated Press. (Some patients, like "with severe psychiatric conditions and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's" will not be eligible.) I understand many libertarians support other people's right to die, but I cannot in good conscience support laws like these that have the potential to transform every country into Ättestupa, in which those declared overly dependent or weak or in danger of meeting too bleak an end can be told they are too burdensome to keep around.

• Beautiful:

this is especially funny because he came here to remind america that canada belongs to england, but the first thing he explained is canada actually belongs to a nearly extinct ancient tribal people. in other words, up for grabs? boomers are too much, man. https://t.co/ATpzTmZ45Y

— Mike Solana (@micsolana) May 27, 2025

• Two truths and a lie, public-sector union edition:

We're playing game this week with public labor union facts: Two Truths and a Lie. Take a guess which of the three I list is NOT true! @PLUACommittee pic.twitter.com/yYRxRQGyPy

— Mary Katharine Ham (@mkhammer) May 27, 2025