What Republican, Democratic judges said about Trump’s law firm orders

By Mike Scarcella

June 30 (Reuters) - Over the past two months, four separate federal judges in Washington have sided decisively with each of the law firms that sued the Trump administration to block White House executive orders against them.

Below are highlights from the rulings, which said President Donald Trump illegally restricted the firms' business in retaliation for cases they took or attorneys they hired. The White House has called the orders a legitimate exercise of presidential authority. The Justice Department on Monday appealed the ruling that blocked Trump's order against law firm Perkins Coie.

U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan, an appointee of Democratic President Joe Biden, ruling for Susman Godfrey:

--“The Order goes beyond violating the Constitution and the laws of the United States. The Order threatens the independence of the bar — a necessity for the rule of law.”

--“Defendants do not point to any statutory authority that empowers the President to punish a law firm for its choice of clients, donations, or other speech, and the court is not aware of any law that would support such action.”

--"Every court to have considered a challenge to one of these orders has found grave constitutional violations and permanently enjoined enforcement of the order in full."

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, an appointee of Republican President George W. Bush, ruling for WilmerHale:

--“The President, by issuing the Order, is wielding his authority to punish a law firm for engaging in litigation conduct the President personally disfavors.”

--“The Order is plainly motivated by the President’s desire to retaliate against WilmerHale for its protected activity.”

--“The WilmerHale Order violates the separation of powers by attempting to usurp the Judiciary’s authority to resolve cases and sanction abuses of the judicial process.”

--“The cornerstone of the American system of justice is an independent judiciary and an independent bar willing to tackle unpopular cases, however daunting. The founding fathers knew this!”

U.S. District Judge John Bates, a George W. Bush appointee, ruling for Jenner & Block:

--“It casts a chill over the whole of the legal profession, leaving lawyers around the country weighing the necessity of vigorous representation against the peril of crossing the federal government. The order’s chilling effect is uniquely harmful for its focus on pro bono work.”

--“The serial executive orders targeting law firms have produced something of an organic experiment, control group and all, for how firms react to the orders and how they might escape them."

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, an appointee of Democratic President Barack Obama, ruling for Perkins Coie:

--"The importance of independent lawyers to ensuring the American judicial system’s fair and impartial administration of justice has been recognized in this country since its founding era."

--"In a cringe-worthy twist on the theatrical phrase 'Let’s kill all the lawyers,' EO 14230 takes the approach of 'Let’s kill the lawyers I don’t like,' sending the clear message: lawyers must stick to the party line, or else."

--"If the founding history of this country is any guide, those who stood up in court to vindicate constitutional rights and, by so doing, served to promote the rule of law, will be the models lauded when this period of American history is written."