The American Bar Association (ABA) has filed a lawsuit against the administration of US President Donald Trump, seeking to block his executive orders targeting law firms. The ABA alleges that Trump’s actions constitute a campaign of intimidation against major law firms, violating the US Constitution.
According to the complaint, Trump’s executive orders aim to coerce lawyers and law firms into abandoning clients, causes, and policy positions he dislikes. The ABA argues that these attacks are “uniquely destructive” and would undermine the judiciary’s ability to function as a meaningful check on the executive branch. “Without skilled lawyers to bring and argue cases, the judiciary cannot function as a meaningful check on the executive branch,” the association stated.
The lawsuit names dozens of executive agencies and US officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Kash Patel, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Four law firms have separately sued the administration over Trump’s orders, which stripped their lawyers of security clearances and restricted their access to government officials and federal contracting work. Four different judges in Washington have sided with the firms, temporarily or permanently barring Trump’s orders against them.
White House spokesperson Harrison Fields dismissed the lawsuit as “clearly frivolous,” asserting that the ABA has no power over the president’s discretion to award government contracts and security clearances to law firms. “The Administration looks forward to ultimate victory on this issue,” Fields said. Despite Trump’s court losses, nine law firms have struck deals with the president, pledging to offer nearly $1 billion in free legal services to stave off similar executive orders.
The lawsuit escalates a clash between the ABA and the Trump administration, which has cut some government funding to the group and moved to restrict its role in vetting federal judicial nominees. In March, Bondi warned the group that it could lose its role in accrediting law schools unless it cancels a requirement related to student diversity. This development highlights the ongoing tension between the Trump administration and the legal community.