Attorney General Charity Clark, along with a coalition of 20 attorneys general, has filed an amicus brief supporting Perkins Coie in a lawsuit against the Trump Administration. The Seattle-based law firm has been targeted by former President Donald Trump's executive order titled “Addressing Risks from Perkins Coie LLP.”
The coalition argues that the March 6 executive order is an effort “to exclude certain lawyers and certain viewpoints from reaching a court of law at all.” A fact sheet accompanying the order stated that the White House “will not tolerate” lawsuits filed by Perkins Coie against the Trump Administration.
Attorney General Clark emphasized the importance of legal representation, stating, “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.” She added that allowing this executive order to stand would undermine Americans' rights to legal representation, free speech, and association.
The brief further states that targeting a law firm for fulfilling its duties could intimidate lawyers into avoiding certain cases or clients. It reads: “[N]o lawyer should have to fear for their public safety or livelihood for carrying out their ethical duties to vigorously represent their client.”
Clark expressed concern over the executive order's impact on Vermont’s legal community. She said, “Vermont’s bar has a collegiality that reflects the Vermont ethos of respect for all people, even when we disagree,” adding her pride in representing Vermont in defense of its legal system.
In addition to Attorney General Clark, 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 joined in filing the brief.