Washington AG joins coalition challenging Trump’s executive orders targeting law firms
Apr 14, 2025, 3:00 PM | Updated: 4:11 pm
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown. (Photo: Jason Redmond via Getty Images)
(Photo: Jason Redmond via Getty Images)
Washington State Attorney General (AG) Nick Brown is challenging what he describes as unconstitutional executive orders targeting law firms.
“Attorney General Nick Brown has joined 21 attorneys general in two amicus briefs on behalf of law firms fighting back against unconstitutional executive orders issued in retaliation for work the Trump administration opposes politically,” stated a news release from Brown’s office Monday.
“These illegal executive orders aimed at specific law firms are an attack on the rule of law,” Brown said. “The president’s actions could cause attorneys to avoid making certain legal claims or taking cases to avoid retribution. This would undermine our entire legal system and leave vulnerable communities in the state without representation.”
Brown joins over a dozen states in challenging Trump’s executive orders
According to the news release, the coalition was led by the attorneys general from Washington, Illinois, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Joining them in filing the briefs were Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
The briefs can be found here and here.
Last week, Brown discussed his ongoing legal battles with the Trump administration during an appearance on “Seattle’s Morning News.”
“If President Trump or any other president is breaking the law and harming Washingtonians, I have an obligation to defend those laws, and we’re gonna do that,” Brown said.
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Trump issued orders suspending security clearances held by employees of certain law firms he views as political adversaries, including Seattle-based Perkins Coie, which is known for its longstanding legal work with the Democratic Party.
He signed that order in March, directing federal agencies to review and terminate any existing government contracts with the firm, though no current contracts were identified in a federal spending database.
“This is an absolute honor to sign. What they’ve done is, it’s just terrible,” Trump said at the signing, referring to the firm’s involvement in past political and legal controversies. “Weaponization — you could say weaponization against a political opponent — and it should never be allowed to happen again.”
