Shanin Specter
WASHINGTON - Attorneys at the prominent Philadelphia plaintiffs firm Kline & Specter are supporting law students who object to President Donald Trump's actions against the firm Susman Godfrey.
Kline & Specter filed an amicus brief April 29 in D.C. federal court in the case against Trump, which alleges he is retaliating against law firms representing interests to which he is opposed. One such client is Dominion Voting Systems, alleged by the far right after the 2020 election to have rigged Joe Biden's victory over Trump.
Trump on April 9 signed an executive order titled "Addressing Risks From Susman Godfrey." It targets the firm's financial awards and employment opportunities to "students of color" and intends to reduce the firm's government contracts.
It is similar to other orders Trump has issued against the Big Law, like the firm Perkins Coie.
"The executive order compromises the premise on which (the law students) have labored to become lawyers," says the nine-page brief, written by Jordan Merson of Kline & Specter's New York office, others at the Philadelphia office and Spencer Pahlke of Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Shoenberger in San Francisco.
"In the world envisioned by the executive order, any lawyer who undertakes a representation disfavored by the executive branch of the government can be ruined through a government-run blacklist. Lawyers who are associated with that lawyer because they work at the same firm also can be ruined."
Susman Godfrey filed suit April 11 against the Executive Office of the President and federal agencies and scored a temporary restraining order from Judge Loren AliKhan.
Notably, Susman Godfrey represented Dominion Voting Systems in a defamation case against Fox News over claims the company rigged the 2020 election in which Trump was defeated by Biden.
Fox News paid a $787 million settlement. Dominion has a similar case pending against Newsmax Media, and Trump's EO came hours after the judge in that case ruled Newsmax made false and defamatory statements.
It continues to represent Dominion in cases against Rudy Giuliani, MyPillow and One America News Network, among others.
It has also sued several federal agencies for various alleged wrongs and filed an amicus brief on behalf of former government officials opposed to the Perkins Coie EO.
Trump's planned assault on big law firms has caused several to agree to provide millions of dollars of pro bono work on Trump causes. Susman Godfrey is among four fighting back in court.
"Susman Godfrey's work almost always involves written and oral advocacy on behalf of clients, including some of President Trump's political opponents, and that advocacy takes place in some matters that are adverse to President Trump's interest," Susman Godfrey's complaint says.
"The firm's advocacy is core protected speech. President Trump issued the order to retaliate against Susman Godfrey for that protected First Amendment activity."
Kline & Specter's brief is on behalf of 1,129 law students and 51 law student organizations. It says law students now face a world where they may have to abandon clients to avoid retaliation from the government.
"This is a character test moment for every lawyer and law firm," Kline & Specter co-founder Shanin Specter said. "We stand united with Big Law - who are often our adversaries in civil litigation - to oppose this illegal targeting of law firms."
The law students aren't the only ones rushing to support Susman Godfrey. Amicus briefs have come from former senior government officials, former judges, other law firms, bar associations, legal ethics professors and the American Civil Liberties Union, among many others.
