Follow up to Trump’s Battle With Big Law Firms Heads Into 2026: What to Know – See Also Reuters The Daily Docket: “The Trump administration will ask the D.C. Circuit to revive executive orders targeting four major law firms, setting up a high-stakes test of presidential power.

• What happened? Trial judges across the political spectrum blocked the orders against Perkins Coie, Jenner & Block, WilmerHale and Susman Godfrey, finding they violated constitutional protections, including free speech. The measures had cited the firms’ past legal work, diversity policies and political ties, and sought to bar their lawyers from federal buildings and cut off government-related business tied to their clients.
• What’s happening today? The D.C. Circuit will hear arguments on whether those rulings should be overturned. The DOJ says lower courts failed to properly consider the president’s authority, while the firms, backed by groups including the ABA and other law firms, argue the orders would punish protected advocacy and chill legal work. The law firms tapped leading U.S. Supreme Court lawyer Paul Clement to represent them. He will face off against DOJ lawyer Abhishek Kambli. Circuit Judges Sri Srinivasan and Cornelia Pillard, both appointed by former President Obama, and Circuit Judge Neomi Rao, who was appointed by President Trump in his first term, will hear the arguments.
• Why it matters – The case could define the limits of presidential power to target private actors and whether the government can penalize law firms over their clients or viewpoints. The stakes extend beyond the firms themselves to the independence of the legal profession. An appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court is likely regardless of the outcome.”