As we have previously in the WilmerHale, Perkins Coie, and Jenner & Block cases, the BBA joined a host of bar associations from across the US in signing an amicus brief supporting Susman Godfrey in their pursuit of relief from a Presidential executive order that targets them for retaliation. That firm had been singled out by the President for representing a voting-machine manufacturer that settled a defamation case stemming from false claims about fraud in the 2020 election.
As we said before, these orders amount to an effort to cripple the targeted firms’ business and undermine their clients’ right to counsel. They represent an assault on the independence of the legal profession, which is tantamount to an attack on constitutional democracy and the rule of law. We are proud to join other bars in collectively rising to defend the legal profession and the rule of law, and we will continue to do so as needed.
The briefs have all been coordinated by the New York City Bar Association and drafted by Harvard Law School professor Jeannie Suk Gersen and the Protect Democracy Project, and they each ask the US District Court for the District of Columbia to grant summary judgment for the firms and enjoin the orders. The number of bar associations signing on has now grown to 24.
