Musk slams law firms over Trump policy challenges, DOJ hits pause on anti-corruption enforcement, ABA warns of 'attack' on rule of law, and more ??

Good morning from The Legal File! Here is the rundown of today's top legal news:

?? Musk takes aim at law firms involved in Trump policy challenges

President Donald Trump's billionaire ally Elon Musk on Feb. 11 directed his ire at U.S. law firms that have teamed up with advocacy groups to challenge the Republican's sweeping policy changes in court.

Musk's post on his social media platform X was his first to target law firms involved in cases against the Trump administration, though he did not identify a specific firm.

"Which law firms are pushing these anti-democratic cases to impede the will of the people?" he wrote.

The post focused on a ruling in a lawsuit brought by Democratic attorneys general from 22 U.S. states challenging cuts adopted by the?National Institutes of Health. Groups represented by?Jenner & Block?and?Ropes & Gray?have brought two other lawsuits related to NIH funding.

The two law firms are among more than eight large and medium sized U.S. law firms that have signed on to lawsuits against the Trump administration related to funding cuts, immigration restrictions and transgender rights.

Many of the firms, including Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Hogan Lovells, Jenner & Block and Perkins Coie, are handling the cases without charge.

Read more.

?? Trump's Justice Department hits the brakes on anti-corruption enforcement

The Justice Department has sharply stepped back its anti-corruption efforts under President Donald Trump, from loosening enforcement of laws meant to stop companies from bribing foreign officials to directing its prosecutors to drop a criminal case against New York Mayor Eric Adams.

It has disbanded an effort to enforce sanctions against Russian oligarchs and fired veteran public corruption prosecutors who played a role in the department's two criminal cases against Trump during his years out of office.

In pulling back from enforcing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which bans companies from paying bribes to build business in foreign countries, and firing over a dozen independent government watchdogs, the administration is taking on laws and institutions put in place after the Watergate scandal that led to President Richard Nixon's 1974 resignation.

Justice Department officials have said the moves are designed to implement Trump’s policies and readdress what they describe as a misuse of the criminal justice system to target Trump and his supporters over the last several years.

Legal observers say the moves signal an administration willing to align its decisions on criminal prosecutions with Trump's political agenda in a sharp break from historical practice.

"It's the most basic proposition of law enforcement that it has to be neutral and apolitical for it to be fair and credible," said Peter Keisler, a senior DOJ official under Republican President George W. Bush. "Otherwise, it's just an instrument of a president who is trying to reward friends and punish enemies."

Read more.

?? American Bar Association says rule of law is under 'attack'

The American Bar Association is warning the public about attacks on the rule of law — and suing the Trump administration — following the U.S. president's recent actions to dismantle parts of the federal government.

The ABA, the nation's largest voluntary lawyer group, on Feb. 11 joined a coalition of organizations that contract with the government to provide foreign assistance in suing the Trump administration over its moves to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Also on Feb. 11, the ABA, which has about 150,000 paying members, issued a forceful statement condemning "recent remarks of high-ranking officials of the administration that appear to question the legitimacy of judicial review."

The statement referenced calls to impeach a federal judge who on Feb. 8 temporarily blocked the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency's efforts to gain access to the Treasury Department's systems. The statement did not name Musk, who called for that judge to be impeached in a post on his social media platform X.

ABA President William Bay warned that the new administration's "chaotic" approach is threatening the rule of law and said the ABA will act to ensure legal processes are followed — adding that courts will serve as a “bulwark” against constitutional violations.

"These bold assertions, designed to intimidate judges by threatening removal if they do not rule the government's way, cross the line," the statement reads.

Read more.

?? Ex-US solicitor general Neal Katyal joins law firm Milbank

Former Acting U.S. Solicitor General Neal Katyal has left the partnership of international law firm Hogan Lovells to join rival Milbank, the New York-founded firm said. He will lead Milbank's appellate practice from Washington.

Katyal, whose corporate clients have included Google, Nvidia and Coinbase, has argued more than 50 cases before the Supreme Court, according to his new firm.

Katyal, a vocal critic of Republican President Donald Trump, represented Hawaii in the U.S. state's opposition to challenging the first Trump administration's travel ban that sought to block people from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the U.S.

He also worked with the state of Minnesota supporting its prosecution of Minneapolis police officers for the death of George Floyd in May 2020.

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?? That's all for today, thank you for reading The Legal File, and have a great day!

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