Federal judge overturns President Donald Trump's executive order targeting Chicago law firm Jenner & Block
Share this @internewscast.com

A federal judge in Chicago invalidated an executive order from President Donald Trump aimed at the Chicago law firm Jenner & Block. The judge determined that this action conflicted with the First Amendment of the Constitution.

US District Judge John Bates in Washington, DC, made the ruling, marking the second time Trump’s efforts to penalize a major law firm have been disrupted by the judiciary in recent weeks.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Judge Bates, appointed by former President George W. Bush, wrote, “This order, like similar ones, attempts to intimidate legal representation that the administration disapproves of, shielding the Executive Branch from judicial oversight, which is crucial to the separation of powers.” He added that it breaches the Constitution, and the court will completely block its enforcement.

“The challenged executive order targets Jenner for what it has said and thereby attempts to dampen what it might yet say. That is unconstitutional under any view of the First Amendment,” the judge concluded.

The order from Trump targeting Jenner & Block instructed federal agencies to terminate contracts with the firm and its clients, limited the firm’s access to federal officials and buildings and suspended the security clearances for attorneys at the firm.

READ MORE | Another 2 law firms targeted by Trump sue to block executive order

Shortly after the law firm sued, Bates paused parts of the order while the case unfolded. But his new ruling goes significantly further by overturning every part of the order.

Earlier this month, another judge in Bates’ courthouse similarly overturned a separate order from the president that targeted the firm Perkins Coie. Several other cases brought by other firms facing a retaliatory executive order are still pending.

Jenner & Block is a large law firm with a Washington, DC, office that’s part of several prominent and politically charged cases, and it has several well-known courtroom lawyers, regulatory attorneys and Congress specialists in its partnership. The law firm previously employed former prosecutor Andrew Weissmann, who led the successful prosecution of Trump’s 2016 campaign leader Paul Manafort as one of the top prosecutors in the Russia investigation.

The Jenner & Block order, signed by Trump in March, claimed that the firm has “abandoned the profession’s highest ideals, condoned partisan ‘lawfare,’ and abused its pro bono practice to engage in activities that undermine justice and the interests of the United States.” The executive order specifically points out Weissmann’s ties to the firm.

At the time it was issued, the firm was involved in some of the emergency lawsuits challenging Trump’s executive actions, including cases concerning the administration’s effort to cutting medical research funding to universities and its attempt to curtail access to gender-affirming care for minors.

The lengthy ruling from Bates was particularly critical of how Trump’s order would negatively impact the firm’s ability to do pro bono work on behalf of clients it wants to take on.

“When law firms volunteer to represent vulnerable individuals and groups without pay, they embody the best of the profession,” he wrote. “This order and the others like it seek not only to prevent that noble undertaking but to manipulate it. The orders strongarm firms into redirecting their uncompensated services to work the President prefers – or even perhaps to work for the President himself.”

He continued: “So when this order retaliates for (and endeavors to steer) Jenner’s ‘powerful pro bono practice,’ it sullies a tradition that instructs lawyers to pursue ideals higher than profit. The public will suffer.”

This story has been updated with additional details.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Family matriarch dies day after rescue from remote island that saw family swim ashore to escape boat fire

Tragic Turn: Family Matriarch Passes Away After Dramatic Rescue from Remote Island Following Boat Fire

A day after being rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard, a woman…
Freed Gaza Prisoner Reveals “Hell Beneath the Ground”

Inside Gaza’s Underground Nightmare: A Former Detainee’s Harrowing Tale

A recently freed Palestinian detainee has delivered devastating testimony detailing what he…
Asking Eric: Friendship disrupted by house full of security cameras

Home Surveillance Strains Friendship: How Eric’s Security Cameras Created Tension

Dear Eric: I’m deeply concerned about losing a cherished friendship. I met…
June Lockhart, beloved mother figure from 'Lassie' and 'Lost In Space,' dies at 100 in Santa Monica

Farewell to June Lockhart: Celebrating the Iconic TV Mom from ‘Lassie’ and ‘Lost In Space’ at 100

In SANTA MONICA, Calif., June Lockhart, cherished as a maternal figure by…
A bomb in Gaza's rubble wounds twins who thought it was a toy

Tragedy in Gaza: Twins Mistakenly Play with Bomb Hidden in Rubble

In Gaza City, a pair of six-year-old twins mistook a round object…

Ex-LAPD Officer Faces Murder Charges in Shocking 2015 Unarmed Homeless Man Shooting

In a significant legal development, a grand jury indictment was revealed on…
Can AI keep students motivated, or does it do the opposite?

Unlocking Student Potential: How AI Transforms Motivation in the Classroom

Imagine a student employing a writing assistant fueled by a generative AI…
Sea & Sky Air Show powers through impacts from government shutdown, windy conditions

Sea & Sky Air Show Triumphs Over Government Shutdown and Challenging Winds

The Sea and Sky Air Show at Jacksonville Beach wrapped up earlier…
Danny Masterson’s ex-wife files to change their daughter’s last name

Danny Masterson’s Former Spouse Seeks Last Name Change for Their Daughter

Bijou Phillips, the ex-wife of Danny Masterson, is reportedly seeking a court’s…
The Daily News Endorsement: Cuomo offers NYC a path forward while Mamdani peddles hollow promises

The Daily News Endorses Cuomo for NYC’s Future, Critiques Mamdani’s Proposals as Lacking Substance

The final mayoral debate highlighted Zohran Mamdani’s lackluster performance, underscoring persistent issues…
SNAP benefits November: Donald Trump admin. won't tap contingency fund for food aid amid government shutdown 2025, memo says

Trump Administration Withholds SNAP Contingency Funds During 2025 Government Shutdown, Memo Reveals

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has decided against using approximately $5 billion…
Experts slam UN court ruling on Israel, warn opinion is also 'a real danger to the US'

Experts Criticize UN Court Decision on Israel, Caution of Potential Risks to the US

In a controversial development, experts on international law and the United Nations…