Trump, in Abrupt Reversal, Will Continue War on Law Firms

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The law firms are opposing this motion. This will be fun to watch

Link to tweet

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and-practice/trump-signals-he-will-continue-court-war-on-targeted-law-firms

The Trump administration has changed its mind on its decision to walk away from appealing its loss in lawsuits over executive orders targeted at four Big Law firms.

The Justice Department on Tuesday afternoon moved to withdraw its motion to voluntarily dismiss the appeals of its cases against Perkins Coie, WilmerHale, Susman Godfrey and Jenner & Block.

The motion comes after the Justice Department on Tuesday sent an email to the four law firms signaling it would file the motion to withdraw its voluntary dismissal of its appeal less than 24 hours after saying it would drop the fight, confirmed a person familiar with the emails. News of the reversal was first reported by the New York Times.

The law firms opposed the government’s filing, the DOJ said in its motion: “Plaintiffs-Appellees oppose the government’s unexplained request to withdraw yesterday’s voluntary dismissal, to which all parties had agreed. Under no circumstances should the government’s unexplained about-face provide a basis for an extension of its brief.”

However, the DOJ said that regardless of this position, the court had not yet granted the motion to dimiss and “it is the perogative of the Defendent-Appellants to purse this appeal.”

The DOJ will lose this appeal. The executive orders are clearly unconstitutional. It may well be that the idiot law firms who agreed to trump's "agreements" were going to challenge these agreements once there was a final order entered.

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1. Here is the filing seeking to reinstate the appeal

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2. In sudden reversal, Trump DOJ moves to revive retaliation cases against law firms

It is very uncommon to do this major of a reversal just before briefs were due. The DOJ's brief is due Friday.

Link to tweet

https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/trump-doj-moves-to-revive-retaliation-cases-against-law-firms/

After abandoning its defense of President Donald Trump’s executive orders targeting major law firms, the Justice Department abruptly reversed itself Tuesday and asked a federal court to let it continue defending the retaliatory orders.

Just one day earlier, the Trump administration had moved to voluntarily dismiss its appeals in four cases challenging Trump’s orders sanctioning Jenner & Block, WilmerHale, Perkins Coie and Susman Godfrey. Lower court rulings found the orders unlawful and unconstitutional, concluding they were designed to punish the firms for representing clients and causes Trump opposed.....

The dismissal would have left intact blistering district court decisions warning that Trump’s actions threatened the country’s adversarial legal system — the foundational principle that everyone is entitled to representation, even against a sitting president.

But Tuesday, in a stunning reversal and without explanation, the DOJ filed a motion to withdraw its own dismissal and press forward with the appeals.

In plain terms, the administration is now trying to undo its decision to walk away — and instead keep fighting to reinstate the executive orders judges found unlawful.

All four firms swiftly opposed the Trump admin’s sudden reversal, urging the appeals court to reject the government’s attempt to withdraw its voluntary dismissal.

This will be fun to watch

[Brother Buzz]

3. I'm guessing the marmalade shartcannon was pissed at yesterday's headlines, basically calling him the loser

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4. MaddowBlog-In a stunning reversal, Trump's Justice Department revives campaign against law firms

One day after the DOJ agreed to throw in the towel, it changed its mind and demanded the towel back.

In a stunning reversal, Trump’s Justice Department revives campaign against law firms
One day after the DOJ agreed to throw in the towel, it changed its mind and demanded the towel back.
www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

— Audrey (@parickards.bsky.social) 2026-03-03T22:31:15.573Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/in-a-stunning-reversal-trumps-justice-department-revives-campaign-against-law-firms

The victories for the quartet — Jenner & Block, WilmerHale, Perkins Coie and Susman Godfrey — looked even better this week when the Trump Justice Department announced plans to throw in the towel: Instead of appealing their earlier defeats, DOJ lawyers said they would abandon their defense of the president’s executive orders.

At least, that was the plan on Monday. On Tuesday morning, MS NOW, citing two sources familiar with the case, reported that the Justice Department had notified the four firms that it’s changed course and will proceed with the appeal after all. The New York Times had a related report:

The Trump administration indicated on Tuesday that it planned to renew its defense of executive orders that it had leveled against law firms, a sharp reversal a day after asking a court whether it could abandon the fight.

In a motion filed with the appeals court in the District of Columbia, where the cases are playing out, the Justice Department formally asked to withdraw its request on Monday to abandon the cases against four law firms.

So, to recap: First, the president tried to exercise greater control over the legal industry in a ridiculous power-grab, telling many of the nation’s largest firms that they would lose government contracts and security clearances unless they agreed to meet the White House’s demands. Four leading firms refused and filed suit.

A variety of judges from across the ideological spectrum ruled against Trump, concluding that the move was obviously illegal. Trump’s Justice Department decided there was no point in racking up another round of defeats, only to take the opposite position a day later without explanation.

“This withdrawal of the administration’s withdrawal is amateurish, and it does not change the likely outcome of the fight,” the Times’ editorial board explained. “Judges — appointed by presidents of both parties — have repeatedly ruled that the executive orders were illegal, and there is every reason to expect that to continue. The Trump administration’s initial withdrawal of its appeals is an indication that at least some officials understand this reality.”

As for the firms involved in the case, I spoke to a spokesperson at WilmerHale, who said the firms “oppose the government’s unexplained request to withdraw yesterday’s voluntary dismissal, to which all parties had agreed.” Watch this space.