Trump administration seeks to bar law firm Susman Godfrey from lawyer group's lawsuit
By Mike Scarcella
WASHINGTON, July 20 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump’s administration has asked a federal judge to disqualify law firm Susman Godfrey from representing the American Bar Association in its lawsuit against the White House, arguing that the firm's work creates a conflict because its lawyers could be called as key witnesses.
In a filing on Friday in Washington’s federal trial court, the U.S. Justice Department said the District of Columbia’s attorney ethics rules bar Susman Godfrey from serving as counsel for the ABA and a potential fact witness in the same case.
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 ABA declined to comment. Susman Godfrey and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The ABA intends to oppose the administration’s effort to bar Susman Godfrey from representing it, according to the Justice Department.
The Justice Department disclosed last week in a court filing that it issued subpoenas seeking information from Susman and 13 other law firms that were either hit with executive orders or reached settlements with the administration to avoid them.
“Susman is an essential actor in this lawsuit,” the DOJ said in its filing seeking to stop Susman’s work for the ABA.
The government argued that removing Susman would not substantially harm the ABA, saying the organization “may have as its choice of counsel presumably any law firm in the country, or at least most law firms.”
The case is American Bar Association v. Executive Office of the President, U.S. 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 U.S. Justice Department
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