Since March, President Trump has been putting pressure on certain law firms and lawyers he views as hostile to his policies. His administration has threatened to impeach and disbar judges whose decisions they don’t like, and issued executive orders and memorandums to limit or revoke law firms’ security clearances, and deny lawyers access to federal buildings and facilities.
The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has also written to 20 law firms in March, informing them their diversity, equity and inclusion practices have been placed under investigation.
Last week, the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE), representing more than one million lawyers, collectively expressed their support for US colleagues.
‘The efforts of any government to use power to punish individuals and law firms based on their representation of clients or their legal positions are a clear violation of the core principle of legal independence,’ their statement read.
‘The CCBE echoes the American Bar Association's firm rejection of these practices. Lawyers have a duty to act in the best interest of their clients, and no lawyer should face retaliation for fulfilling this duty.’
Barbara Mills KC, chair of the Bar Council, said: ‘The political attacks on independent legal practitioners, the rule of law and the judiciary are abhorrent.
‘We offer our total support to the American Bar Association and our colleagues who are facing such unprecedented challenges and threats. The Bar Council of England and Wales condemns all acts of intimidation and the targeting of lawyers who are simply carrying out their work, often acting in the public interest and upholding our professional ethics.’
Some 500 law firms, including the US branch of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer—the only global elite firm to do so—have signed an amicus brief in support of Perkins Coie, which is the subject of executive orders suspending its security clearance and reviewing its government contracts.
Washington-based top 50 firm Perkins Coie, along with Jenner & Block and WilmerHale, are suing the Trump administration.
