DOJ Subpoenas Major Law Firms in Trump Executive Order Dispute

The U.S. Justice Department has issued subpoenas to 14 major law firms seeking records and sworn testimony related to executive orders signed by President Donald Trump that targeted several prominent legal firms or prompted agreements to avoid the administration’s directives.

Court filings submitted Friday in the U.S. District Court in Washington show the DOJ is requesting communications connected to the executive orders, including correspondence involving Boris Epshteyn, a longtime Trump adviser, dating back to the beginning of President Trump's second term. The department is also seeking any communications between the law firms and the American Bar Association (ABA) concerning Epshteyn.

It remains unclear whether any of the law firms will challenge the subpoenas. Neither the DOJ, the ABA, the White House, nor representatives for the affected firms immediately commented on the latest legal developments.

The subpoenas surfaced in an ongoing lawsuit filed by the ABA, which argues that its members have been harmed by what it describes as an unlawful Trump administration policy targeting law firms based on their previous legal work, diversity initiatives, and political affiliations.

In its latest court filing, the Justice Department asked U.S. District Judge Amir Ali to deny the ABA’s request for similar documents directly from the White House. The DOJ argued that the organization should instead obtain the requested materials from its own member firms rather than seeking them from the executive branch.

According to the filing, the subpoenas are intended to gather the same documents the ABA has requested as part of the litigation.

The case has renewed attention on the Trump administration’s legal disputes with prominent law firms. Four firms previously sued over the executive orders and secured permanent court rulings blocking their enforcement. The administration has appealed those decisions, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit heard arguments in the case in May. The ABA lawsuit could further shape the legal battle while placing firms that previously reached agreements with the administration under increased scrutiny.