Trump Administration’s Attacks on Fundamental Constitutional Rights. Part 3
Under the First Amendment, we are guaranteed freedom of speech and freedom of association and the rights to petition our government for redress of grievances.
Under the 5th and 14th Amendments we are guaranteed due process of law before our life, our liberties, and our property can be taken away by government action.
The Constitutional rights and protections against government action apply to lawyers just as they do to the general population. The White House is making a concerted effort to damage lawyers based on their political beliefs, their speech, and their political associations. Trump’s actions are particularly pernicious as they aim to damage access to the judicial system, the third branch of government that has served to some degree as a check and balance on the enormous largely unchecked power that Trump is exerting through the other two branches of government.
Steve Bannon described Trump’s approach and goals as follows. “STEVE BANNON (HOST):
He's going after Perkins Coie and Covington Burling to cut them off. They're not going to be walking around making four and five, six million bucks a year because he's going to put those law firms out of business. Let me repeat this. There's major law firms in Washington, D.C. and our, what we are trying to do is put you out of business and bankrupt you. Just so you understand it.” https://www.reddit.com/r/law/comments/1jaoaqp/steve_bannon_theres_major_law_firms_in_washington/?rdt=62460
Trump has initially targeted three firms: Perkins, Coie; Paul Weiss; and Covington and Burling. He has revoked their security clearances, barred them from federal buildings, barred them from federal contracts, and barred them from federal employment. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/addressing-risks-from-paul-weiss/ His acting EEOC Chair has targeted 20 more firms for embracing diversity in hiring. https://www.jurist.org/news/2025/03/big-law-dei-initiatives-targeted-by-us-federal-civil-rights-agency/
The federal district court has enjoined President Trump’s order as respect to Perkins Coie, saying it’s targeting of the lawyers for the President’s political and legal opponents smacked of the constitutionally prohibited bill attainder. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/12/judge-blocks-trump-order-perkins-coie
What is a bill of attainder you might ask? It is when Congress singles you out and takes your rights or property away. No trial, no judge has found you violated the law that provides for a particular fine or punishment, it is simply the raw exercise of state power. It is barred by the US Constitution as well as most every state Constitution.