A federal judge appointed by former President Barack Obama has declared one of President Donald Trump's orders unconstitutional. 

The judge, according to Newsmax, is U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, who was appointed by Obama in 2010.

You may already be familiar with Howell, as this is not the first time that she has attempted to block Trump.

The case stems from an executive order that Trump signed in early March 2025.

Background

The executive order, dated March 6, 2025, is titled "Addressing Risks from Perkins Coie LLP."

You may also be familiar with this law firm for its role in the Russian Collusion Hoax, among other things. But if you are not, the executive order states:

The dishonest and dangerous activity of the law firm Perkins Coie LLP (“Perkins Coie”) has affected this country for decades. Notably, in 2016 while representing failed Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Perkins Coie hired Fusion GPS, which then manufactured a false “dossier” designed to steal an election. This egregious activity is part of a pattern. Perkins Coie has worked with activist donors including George Soros to judicially overturn popular, necessary, and democratically enacted election laws, including those requiring voter identification.

This explains the impetus for the executive order, but it does not explain its purpose.

Newmax reports that it "stripped security clearances from the firm's attorneys, limited their access to federal buildings, and ordered agencies to take steps to end government contracts with its clients."

As would be expected, the order has been challenged in the courts.

The latest

Howell has now permanently blocked the order from going into effect, claiming that it is unconstitutional.

She wrote:

No American President has ever before issued executive orders like the one at issue in this lawsuit targeting a prominent law firm with adverse actions to be executed by all Executive branch agencies but, in purpose and effect, this action draws from a playbook as old as Shakespeare, who penned the phrase: ‘The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers."

The law firm is, of course, celebrating this ruling as a big win.

"This ruling affirms core constitutional freedoms all Americans hold dear, including free speech, due process, and the right to select counsel without the fear of retribution. We are pleased with this decision and are immensely grateful to those who spoke up in support of our positions," the firm said in a statement.

It is unclear, at the time of this writing, whether the Trump administration will look to get Howell's order overturned.