Attorney General Charity Clark joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general today in filing an amicus brief in support of a lawsuit brought by Perkins Coie, the Seattle law firm targeted by President Donald Trump for representing clients and taking positions disfavored by the president. President Trump’s executive order, “Addressing Risks from Perkins Coie LLP,” is the subject of the lawsuit.
The states argue that the president’s March 6 executive order is an attempt “to exclude certain lawyers and certain viewpoints from reaching a court of law at all.” The fact sheet that accompanied the executive order said the White House “will not tolerate” that Perkins Coie “has filed lawsuits against the Trump Administration.”
“As lawyers, we have a duty to represent our clients to the best of our ability, and our clients deserve our zealous advocacy no matter how unpopular their argument may be in the current moment,” said Attorney General Clark. “This is a foundational principle of our legal system, and if this executive order stands, it would erode Americans’ rights to legal representation, free speech, and association.”
By targeting a law firm for doing its job, the President is attempting to silence lawyers into compliancy. The brief states, “[N]o lawyer should have to fear for their public safety or livelihood for carrying out their ethical duties to vigorously represent their client. Concerns about retaliation may cause some lawyers to be unwilling to take on certain cases or clients altogether.”
“Vermont’s bar has a collegiality that reflects the Vermont ethos of respect for all people, even when we disagree,” said Attorney General Clark. “As a Vermont lawyer, I am disturbed by this executive order. As Attorney General, I am proud to represent Vermont in standing up for our legal system.”
Joining Attorney General Clark in filing the brief are attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington.
A copy of the amicus brief can be found here.
CONTACT: Amelia Vath, Outreach and Communications Coordinator, 802-828-3171