Trending Now - Trump Administration Ends Legal Disputes With Rivals After Ruling
WHO:
President Trump
Justice Department (DOJ)
Law firms: Perkins Coie, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, Susman Godfrey, Jenner & Block
Robert Mueller (special counsel)
Andrew Weissmann (lawyer at Jenner & Block)
Victor Schwartz (New York City wine importer)
Liberty Justice Center (Chicago-based constitutional law nonprofit)
Jessica Walker (President of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce)
WHAT:
The Justice Department moved to drop its legal defense of President Trump's executive orders targeting law firms on March 2, 2026.
The Trump administration voluntarily dismissed appeals of lower court decisions that found the executive orders unconstitutional.
The executive orders sought to punish law firms for their legal work and affiliations with Democrats.
The administration had previously extracted hundreds of millions of dollars in free legal services from nine other law firms.
The executive orders were signed by Trump in March and April 2025.
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Victor Schwartz in a 6-3 decision on February 20, 2026, declaring Trump's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to levy tariffs unconstitutional.
The government collected approximately $175 billion in tariffs under that authority.
WHERE:
U.S. appeals court in Washington, D.C.
New York City
Federal Circuit and Court of International Trade (for the tariff case)
WHEN:
March 2, 2026: DOJ dropped its legal defense.
March and April 2025: Trump signed the executive orders.
February 20, 2026: Supreme Court ruling on tariffs.
2023: Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems reached a $787 million settlement agreement.
WHY:
The executive orders were part of a broader campaign by Trump to target perceived political enemies.
The law firms challenged the executive orders, arguing they violated constitutional rights.
The Supreme Court ruling was a response to the administration's overreach in imposing tariffs.
HOW:
The DOJ filed court papers to dismiss appeals.
The law firms successfully argued in court that the executive orders were unconstitutional, leading to rulings in their favor from four federal judges.
Schwartz's case against the tariffs was expedited through the courts, culminating in a Supreme Court hearing.
On March 2, 2026, the Justice Department moved to drop its legal defense of President Trump's executive orders that targeted law firms, following a series of court rulings that deemed those orders unconstitutional. This decision comes after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Victor Schwartz on February 20, declaring Trump's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs unconstitutional, a move that had previously generated about $175 billion for the government. The executive orders, signed by Trump in March and April 2025, were part of a broader effort to penalize law firms for their affiliations with Democrats, but faced significant legal challenges from multiple firms, ultimately leading to their dismissal.