The chilling effect of Trump’s war against the legal establishment

The Trump administration is waging a war against the legal community in the United States with a target list growing by the day.

The Trump administration is waging a war against the legal community in the United States with a target list growing by the day. Thus far, President Donald Trump has issued executive orders that have targeted two law firms representing his perceived enemies, and his administration has attacked firms and law schools it says may be violating presidential initiatives against diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. The executive order Trump signed restricting Perkins Coie’s access to classified information and federal buildings and thus hurting its ability to work for some clients is sending shockwaves through the legal establishment nationwide. “We’ve never seen a president put out a specific order about a law firm,” Ellen Podgor, a Stetson University law professor and legal ethicist, told CNN. “You’re taking away the ability of an attorney to act in their role as a lawyer,” Podgor added. “The order to me is … depriving our whole right to counsel. This is a major amendment to our Constitution.” The White House’s retaliation has been boldly a political response aimed at a group of lawyers and businesses that are known very little in public life outside of Washington. But the implications may be profound, with Trump’s administration positioning itself in direct opposition to major institutions, using its power to quell the work of experienced and influential attorneys.