More than 500 firms sign brief in support of Trump-targeted law office

More than 500 law firms in the United States have rallied in support of Perkins Coie LLP, one of several legal offices that have been targeted under the administration of President Donald Trump.

In an amicus brief filed on Friday, the law firms accused the Trump administration of pursuing a campaign of “draconian punishment” against legal professionals who represent people and causes the president frowns upon.

“Any controversial representation challenging actions of the current administration (or even causes it disfavors) now brings with it the risk of devastating retaliation,” the brief states.

“Whatever short-term advantage an administration may gain from exercising power in this way, the rule of law cannot long endure in the climate of fear that such actions create.”

Perkins Coie is one of at least four major law firms that Trump has targeted with executive orders. They include WilmerHale, Paul Weiss and Jenner & Block.

The executive orders included broad accusations, including that the law firms participated in the “destruction of bedrock American principles” and “conduct detrimental to critical American interests”.

As punishment, the executive orders seek to revoke the security clearances needed for high-stakes cases involving sensitive information, as well as block the law firms’ personnel from entering federal buildings like courthouses.

Each of the law firms targeted represented a cause or person Trump has spoken against.

In the case of Perkins Coie, the president cited the law firm’s work on behalf of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a Democrat who ran against Trump in the 2016 presidential race.