March Madness: Contextualizing the Trump Administration’s Attacks on Private Law Firms and Law Schools

By: Ambur C. Smith, Esq; Georgetown Law, Class of 2018

UPDATE: Since publishing this blog, Acting Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Andrea Lucas, issued a letter naming 20 law firms in a new DEI related probe.

ORIGINAL INTRODUCTION: Since assuming office for his second term, President Trump and his cabinet members have been hard at work; pardoning violent January 6th insurrectionists, firing uniquely qualified federal government workers, and hawking Teslas on the South Lawn of the White House. In the days ahead, we look forward to unpacking the implications of this administration’s disorienting approach to governance, but for now, we must call attention to a particularly concerning aspect of the executive branch’s 2025 agenda.

A New Normal for Private Legal Institutions

On March 6, President Trump issued an executive order entitled Addressing Risks from Perkins Coie LLP threatening to revoke security clearances granted to Perkins’ attorneys, and federal contracts granted to their clients. The alleged risks cited in the EO included representation of Hillary Clinton in 2016, championing of voting rights on behalf of political action committees, and embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in their hiring practices; all of which are protected under the constitution and federal law.

On March 11, Perkins filed a lawsuit demanding a temporary restraining order and other reprieve from the Administration’s unprecedented and unconstitutional attack. On March 12, the order was granted.

Simultaneously, the Administration’s interim US attorney, Edward “Ed” S. Martin, Jr., shared similar threats in a letter addressed to the Dean of the Georgetown University Law Center (Georgetown Law); a prestigious, private Catholic and Jesuit university. In response, Dean William Treanor summarily dismissed calls to censor DEI related curriculum and otherwise infringe upon the university’s first amendment rights to facilitate a world class education for their students. Ironically enough, the President’s daughter, Tiffany Trump graduated from the law center in 2020 (in response, Trump tweeted “Great student, great school” during his second bid for office).

Undeterred by the response of Perkins and Georgetown, the Trump administration issued an EO targeting Paul Weiss Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP (Paul Weiss), for nearly identical reasons, on Friday March 14.

UPDATE: As of March 23, 2025 Paul Weiss has reached an out of court settlement with the Administration, requiring them to offer pro bono support to designated causes, and otherwise submit to the Administration’s demands. See the email from Firm Leader Brad Karl here.

The Big Picture

With clients ranging from start-ups to market leaders across a wide range of industries and practice areas, Perkins and Paul Weiss bear similarities to every law firm in America. In fact, the latest EO admits “Paul Weiss, along with nearly every other...influential, or industry leading law firm, makes decisions around “targets” based on race and sex.” However, unlike smaller, boutique firms, they have the capacity and will power to represent the most powerful and politically progressive clients. Similarly, Georgetown Law's curriculum is comparable to any of America's top tier law schools; but they are the only T14 law school in the nation's capital.

By singling out these institutions, the Administration appears intent on crippling the American legal system, fueled by private firms and universities, from the top down. And while recent headlines suggest that members of the profession, backed by the Senate Judiciary Committee, are prepared to fight back, there is still a long road ahead before they can boast victory.

Read our full statement in solidarity with private legal institutions below:

If you are struggling to express solidarity with those targeted under this Administration, or otherwise, reach out to us today. While specializing in transactional matters, our firm is committed to providing alternative dispute resolution and political strategy support to clients across industries.

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