Jenner & Block becomes latest target
Donald Trump has signed an executive order targeting major US law firm Jenner & Block, escalating his campaign against major legal outfits he claims are aligned with his political opponents.
The order, signed on Tuesday, restricts the firm’s access to federal buildings, suspends security clearances for its lawyers, and limits eligibility for government contracts — echoing earlier moves against prominent firms including Perkins Coie and Paul Weiss.
Jenner & Block said the executive order “resembled one that has already been declared unconstitutional” by a federal judge.
Trump’s latest order singles out the firm for its past employment of Andrew Weissmann, a former federal prosecutor who played a key role in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Weissmann worked at Jenner & Block from 2006 to 2011 and rejoined the firm in 2020 following his time on Mueller’s team.
White House staff secretary Will Scharf claimed the firm had engaged in “weaponization of the legal system against American principles and values”.
The crackdown on law firms appears to be widening. Trump has now signed executive orders targeting four major US firms, and on Friday directed the Department of Justice to explore similar action against lawyers who have represented immigrants or sued the federal government in the last eight years.
One of the previously targeted firms, Paul Weiss, reached a settlement with the Trump administration to avoid sanctions under the executive order. As part of the deal, the firm provided approximately $40 million worth of free legal support.
In a letter to staff, chairman Brad Karp ddefended the agreement, saying the order “could easily have destroyed our firm”.
