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Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting Jenner & Block, a law firm with ties to a former prosecutor who investigated allegations of collusion between Russia and his first presidential campaign, in the government’s latest broadside against the legal industry.
The White House on Tuesday said Jenner & Block was “yet another law firm that has abandoned the profession’s highest ideals” and had “condoned partisan ‘lawfare’”. The order said Andrew Weissmann, a former partner of the firm, engaged in “partisan prosecution as part of Robert Mueller’s entirely unjustified investigation”.
A onetime senior justice department and FBI official, Weissmann worked with then-special counsel Mueller on the federal investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, which was ultimately won by Trump. The investigation found no evidence of collusion.
The order mirrored other recent directives targeting major law firms, asking federal agencies to suspend security clearances and review or terminate government contracts with the firms or entities doing business with them.
Tuesday’s order also said Jenner & Block “abused its pro bono practice to engage in activities that undermine justice and the interests of the United States”, citing what appeared to be cases challenging the administration’s positions on immigration and transgender issues.
A Jenner & Block spokesperson said: “We remain focused on serving and safeguarding our clients’ interests with the dedication, integrity and expertise that has defined our firm for more than 100 years and will pursue all appropriate remedies.”
Weissmann did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He is a professor at NYU law school, teaching national security law and criminal procedure.
Trump has issued similar executive orders against Paul Weiss and Perkins Coie. The administration also issued a directive against Covington & Burling, although its scope was more limited.
The moves have sent a chill across the country’s legal sector, as firms race to draw up contingency plans in case they are next in line to be targeted by the White House. Top Trump adviser and donor Elon Musk singled out New York’s Skadden Arps in a post on X on Sunday, raising speculation that it could be next.
Paul Weiss was the first law firm to strike a deal directly with Trump after coming under a sweeping executive order that it said would have hindered its business. The firm’s longtime chair, Brad Karp, negotiated a deal that includes providing $40mn of pro bono legal services for causes the administration supports, like fighting antisemitism and supporting veterans.
Jenner & Block has had historical affiliations with Democrats and progressive causes. It has a well-known practice representing native American tribes and also secured the release of a detainee at Guantánamo Bay.
The order comes as the Trump administration rails against perceived opponents across the American legal system, including US attorneys of the “Biden era”, judges who have ruled against the government, and prosecutors who have probed the president.
Trump, who has faced four criminal prosecutions at the state and federal level, has intensified his attacks against lawyers, calling his perceived adversaries “vicious” during a rare presidential speech at the Department of Justice earlier this month, in which he also namechecked Weissmann.
The deal with Paul Weiss has appeared to only further fuel Trump’s attacks on the industry. While speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump said there were “others who want to make a settlement also”. He added that law firms “have to behave themselves”.
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