The Department of Justice moved to dismiss its civil case against four leading law firms that won rulings against President Trump's executive orders targeting them for employing or representing his critics.
The big picture: The DOJ's motion to dismiss its lawsuit appeals against Perkins Coie, WilmerHale, Jenner & Block and Susman Godfrey comes after other prestigious law firms caught in Trump's crosshairs agreed to provide almost $1 billion worth of legal work to the president instead of going to court.
What they're saying: The DOJ's decision to withdraw its appeals "makes permanent the rulings of four federal judges that the executive orders targeting law firms ... were unconstitutional," Jenner & Block said in a statement Monday. "Our partnership is proud to have stood firm on behalf of its clients."
- Susman Godfrey said in a statement the government had "capitulated," which it said was "a fitting end to its plainly unconstitutional attack" on the firm and the rule of law. "We fought for ourselves, but we fought for bigger things, too," the statement added.
- "[F]or a Constitution that protects our freedoms; for a legal profession that depends on equal justice under the law; and for the people across this country who refuse to back down in the face of an Administration that seeks to silence and intimidate them — lawyers and non-lawyers alike."
- Representatives for the White House and DOJ did not immediately respond to Axios' requests for comment.
Flashback: Trump announced deals with nine other leading law firms, with Paul Weiss the first to cut a deal — with the company arguing that $40 million in pro bono work was a small price to pay compared with the money, clients and even top talent it could have lost if it chose to fight, Axios previously reported.
Go deeper: Law firms pledge almost $1 billion in free work to Trump
