By openly retaliating against disfavored law firms, Trump attacks free speech and the right to counsel

President Trump has issued executive orders aimed at punishing major law firms for representing clients and advocating causes he does not like.

Ruben Navarrette : The penalties include revoking lawyers' security clearances, restricting their access to federal buildings, canceling federal contracts with the targeted firms, and scrutinizing other contractors for ties to them.

WilmerHale and Perkins Coie have asked federal judges in the District of Columbia to issue permanent injunctions against the orders affecting them.

Ruben Navarrette : President Trump 's order against WilmerHale , Perkins Coie is "clear on its face" He says it's retaliatory against firms for their legal work, which he says is "detrimental to critical American interests" He asks why did Paul Weiss and other firms cave rather than fight, and why did they cave?.

WilmerHale , Skadden, Arps agree to "extraordinary capitulations" to avoid the president's wrath.

Skadden promised to abandon DEI policies; represent clients without regard to "the personal political views of individual lawyers" The ACLU et al. offer a warning for Republicans who might shrug at that attack because they do not view the targets as sympathetic.