The Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers (“APRL”) is the largest organization of lawyers devoted to advising and representing lawyers and law firms.  Our association focuses a large part of its efforts on regulations of the legal profession. We believe the independent judgment of members of our profession to represent clients, regardless of whether the representation may be unpopular and regardless of partisan politics, is indispensable to promoting justice in a free society.

Two recent Executive Orders – one dated March 6, 2025, titled “Addressing Risks from Perkins Coie LLP” and another dated February 25, 2025, titled “Suspension of Security Clearances and Evaluation of Government Contracts,” took aim at lawyers’ ability to effectively represent their clients and sought to interfere with attorney-client relationships between private parties. The March 6 Executive Order directed at Perkins Coie sought to penalize the firm for positions it had taken on behalf of its clients on election issues and its internal policies regarding hiring and promotion. The February 25 Executive Order similarly targeted lawyers at Covington & Burling LLP by terminating security clearances and directing federal agencies to review their contracts with that firm.

Lawyers have a duty to zealously advocate for their clients and often represent clients who may be socially disfavored or even reviled. Lawyers owe their clients a duty of loyalty to advocate for their interests, even if the lawyer or firm does not share the client’s point of view.

Actions such as these Executive Orders impact clients’ choice of counsel and the ability of the firm to provide legal services. It may further chill the efforts of other lawyers and law firms, which threatens all Americans by limiting access to the courts and access to legal services.

Despite naming specific law firms, these orders impact more than the firms mentioned. They threaten the causes that other lawyers or firms might otherwise undertake due to concern that they might face a similar order.  We commend Perkins Coie for acting quickly to obtain a court order halting enforcement of the March 6 Executive Order.

   APRL encourages all members of the legal profession and the organized bar to speak up loudly against these unprecedented attacks on the profession. It is incumbent on lawyers to fervently protect the attorney-client relationship, the freedom of lawyers to represent clients disfavored by others, and the right of clients to employ lawyers of their choice. Although we sincerely hope that we will not see any other attempts by the executive branch to limit the rights and duties of lawyers and law firms to advocate for their clients or clients’ rights to choose the lawyers they wish to represent them, we call on lawyers and citizens who care about the integrity of American courts to oppose any such orders and to support the justice system, respect the rule of law, and preserve the role of lawyers in advocating for clients.

A previous President of the United States, John Adams, represented British soldiers in the Boston Massacre trials.  Adams represented those clients—who were accused of murdering American patriots—because he understood that even the most unpopular clients must be represented if justice is to be served.  It is lamentable—indeed, it is un-American—for the President to punish lawyers for the political viewpoints of their clients.