Fact Check: "Four major law firms defeated Trump's executive orders in court without going to trial."
What We Know
In recent legal battles, four prominent law firms—Perkins Coie, Jenner & Block, WilmerHale, and Susman Godfrey—successfully challenged executive orders issued by former President Donald Trump. These orders aimed to impose penalties on the firms for representing clients or causes that Trump opposed. All four firms filed lawsuits arguing that the executive orders were unconstitutional, and in each case, federal judges ruled in favor of the law firms, permanently blocking the enforcement of the orders (NPR, NY Times). The rulings were delivered without the cases going to trial, as judges found the executive orders to be unconstitutional based on First and Fifth Amendment violations (CBS News).
Analysis
The claim that four major law firms defeated Trump's executive orders in court without going to trial is substantiated by multiple sources. Each of the four judges who ruled against the executive orders—appointed by both Republican and Democratic presidents—found significant constitutional violations in Trump's actions (NY Times, CBS News). Judge Loren AliKhan's ruling against Susman Godfrey, for example, stated that the executive order was "unconstitutional from beginning to end," and highlighted that all courts involved had found "grave constitutional violations" (NPR).
The judges' decisions were swift and decisive, indicating a strong consensus on the unconstitutionality of the orders. This reflects a robust legal strategy by the law firms, which chose to litigate against the executive orders rather than settle or capitulate, as some other firms did (Reuters). The credibility of the sources reporting these events is high, as they include established news organizations with a history of accurate reporting on legal and political matters.
Conclusion
The verdict on the claim that "four major law firms defeated Trump's executive orders in court without going to trial" is True. The evidence clearly shows that all four law firms successfully challenged the executive orders in court, leading to permanent injunctions against their enforcement, all without the need for a trial.
