Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in support of Perkins Coie LLP (Perkins Coie), the Seattle law firm targeted by President Donald Trump for representing clients and taking positions disfavored by the president.
Raoul and the states argue in the brief that the president’s March 6 executive order addressing risks from Perkins Coie is an attempt to prevent certain lawyers and viewpoints from reaching a court of law. The executive order claims Perkins Coie has engaged in dishonest and dangerous activity, particularly while representing Hillary Clinton in 2016. After the brief was filed, the court ordered a temporary restraining order to stop the implementation or enforcement of the sections of the executive order addressing risks from Perkins Coie.
“In our country, clients have a right to legal representation regardless of their political party,” Raoul said. “Consistent with this foundational principle, law firms should not be retaliated against simply because the president does not like their clients. I will continue to support the rights of individuals to obtain counsel, and the rights of attorneys and law firms to provide robust representation for their clients regardless of the politics that surround the case.”
Filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Raoul and the coalition’s brief explains that regardless of current politics, it is important for clients to be represented effectively, allowing judges, juries and the court system to make fair and reasoned decisions. By targeting a law firm for doing its job, the Trump administration is attempting to silence lawyers into compliance. As the brief explains, no lawyer should have to fear for their public safety or livelihood for carrying out their ethical duties to represent their client. Additionally, concerns about retaliation may cause some lawyers to be unwilling to take on certain cases or clients.
Joining Attorney General Raoul in the filing the amicus are attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
