Trump administration loses bid to disqualify Susman Godfrey from lawyer group's lawsuit
Judge says administration failed to show Susman lawyers would also testify in case ABA lawsuit alleges unlawful targeting of firms Susman was among firms that defeated Trump executive order seeking to limit business operations By Mike Scarcella WASHINGTON, Oct 16 (Reuters) — A US judge on Friday allowed law firm Susman Godfrey to continue representing the American Bar Association in its lawsuit against President Donald Trump's administration, rejecting government arguments that the firm's involvement in matters at issue in the litigation created a conflict requiring its disqualification. US District Judge Amir Ali in Washington wrote in his ruling that the Trump administration had not shown that lawyers at Susman Godfrey would simultaneously appear as witnesses in the lawsuit while also representing the ABA. Even if there were such a witness, professional attorney rules would not automatically disqualify the rest of the law firm, wrote Ali, an appointee of Democratic President Joe Biden. "That the ABA seeks discovery about communications related to Susman Godfrey does not indicate the lawyers representing the ABA here, who may not have even been involved in the communications, are
Judge says administration failed to show Susman lawyers would also testify in case ABA lawsuit alleges unlawful targeting of firms Susman was among firms that defeated Trump executive order seeking to limit business operations By Mike Scarcella WASHINGTON, Oct 16 (Reuters) — A US judge on Friday allowed law firm Susman Godfrey to continue representing the American Bar Association in its lawsuit against President Donald Trump's administration, rejecting government arguments that the firm's involvement in matters at issue in the litigation created a conflict requiring its disqualification.
US District Judge Amir Ali in Washington wrote in his ruling that the Trump administration had not shown that lawyers at Susman Godfrey would simultaneously appear as witnesses in the lawsuit while also representing the ABA. Even if there were such a witness, professional attorney rules would not automatically disqualify the rest of the law firm, wrote Ali, an appointee of Democratic President Joe Biden. "That the ABA seeks discovery about communications related to Susman Godfrey does not indicate the lawyers representing the ABA here, who may not have even been involved in the communications, are likely to be necessary witnesses," Ali wrote.
The White House had no immediate comment. The American Bar Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The ABA filed the lawsuit last year, alleging the Trump administration adopted an unlawful policy of targeting law firms and lawyers based on their legal work, hiring, diversity policies and political ties. Susman Godfrey was among Trump's targets in a series of executive orders targeting law firms.
It is one of three law firms that won court orders last year permanently barring enforcement of the orders against them. The Trump administration's appeal is pending. The Trump administration in July asked Ali to disqualify Susman Godfrey from representing the American Bar Association. The administration said that removing Susman would not harm the ABA, because the organization "may have as its choice of counsel presumably any law firm in the country, or at least most law firms." The ABA and Susman Godfrey opposed the government’s disqualification effort.
They assailed the administration’s bid as "a new chapter in the ongoing effort to intimidate and chill the speech of the American legal profession." The case is American Bar Association v. Executive Office of the President, US District Court for the District of Columbia, No. 1:25-cv-01888-AHA.
For plaintiff: Stephen Shackelford and Neal Manne of Susman Godfrey For defendant: Michael Velchik and James Wen of the US Justice Department Read more: How Trump’s crackdown on law firms is undermining legal defenses for the vulnerable Trump administration discloses subpoenas to law firms in fight with US lawyer group Lawyers' group seeks White House records tied to Trump's law-firm executive orders US appeals court questions Trump's push to punish major law firms (Reporting by Mike Scarcella; editing by Nate Raymond)