McCabe & Ali is proud to have signed the amicus brief of Solo and Small Firm attorneys backing Perkins Coie’s challenge in the D.C. District Court to the Trump administration’s executive order targeting it. Our firm, and 333 others, have requested leave to file an amicus brief condemning the order stripping security clearances from and severing government ties with Perkins Coie based on that firm’s prior representation of Trump’s political rivals–namely former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton–and its participation in challenges to certain election laws.
Small and solo law firms constitute 75% of all lawyers engaged in the private practice of law. The executive order threatens the livelihood of solo and small firm practitioners as well as the rights of millions of clients, who depend on us for access to justice. As the amicus brief (link here) eloquently explains:
In the spirit of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, many lawyers in solo practices and small firms uphold a proud tradition of representing marginalized, controversial, or unpopular clients against the government – not merely as occasional pro bono matters but as the bread and butter of their practices. Solo and small firm lawyers accept court-appointed criminal defense assignments in federal court and comprise the vast majority of the more than 12,000 panel appointments. Solo practitioners also account for 42% of immigration lawyers who practice exclusively in federal court. With the looming specter of the Executive Order, these lawyers would have to “toe the line” for fear that they are “next.”
By joining the amicus brief, we not only demonstrate support to our colleagues at Perkins Coie (and other firms targeted by similar executive orders), but also advance the core values and principles underpinning respect for the Rule of Law–which guide our own practice and service to our clients. Special thanks to Carolyn Elefent, who led the amicus effort with tremendous vigor.