A U.S. federal judge has declared an executive order specifically targeting the law firm Perkins Coie LLP unconstitutional, ruling it violates fundamental rights under the First, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments.
The order, issued by Judge Beryl A. Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was filed on Friday.
The ruling came in the case Perkins Coie LLP v. U.S. Department of Justice, et al., where the law firm challenged Executive Order 14230. The executive order, titled “Addressing Risks from Perkins Coie LLP,” was issued by the President on March 6, 2025.
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In her order, Judge Howell granted Perkins Coie’s Motion for Summary Judgment and Declaratory and Permanent Injunctive Relief. Simultaneously, she denied the government’s Renewed Motion to Dismiss and for Expedited Judgment.
Crucially, the court declared Executive Order 14230 “unlawful because it violates the First, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution and is therefore null and void.”
The decision follows consideration of extensive briefing, declarations, and exhibits filed by both parties, as well as arguments presented during a motions hearing held on April 23, 2025.
The court’s declaration that the executive order is “null and void” effectively invalidates the measures it imposed against Perkins Coie.
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The specific actions or restrictions mandated by Executive Order 14230 were not detailed in the provided court document but are implied to be significant enough to warrant the firm’s legal challenge and the court’s finding of constitutional violations.
Perkins Coie had sought not only a declaration that the order was unlawful but also permanent injunctive relief to prevent its enforcement. With the court granting their motion for summary judgment, that relief is now ordered.
The U.S. Department of Justice, as the primary defendant, had sought to have the case dismissed, arguing the executive order was valid. That attempt was rejected by the court.
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