Judge Beryl Howell is now presiding over an emergency lawsuit surrounding President Donald Trump's order to review any current contracts that law group Perkins Coie has with federal agencies and consider terminating them.
Newsweek reached out to Perkins Coie via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Since taking office in January, Trump has initiated sweeping change amid a flurry of executive orders. In an order on March 6, 2025, the president targeted Perkins Coie, calling the law group out for what he says is "dishonest and dangerous activity."
Trump notes the group's time representing former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the law group's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) practices. Trump's order also calls for security clearances to be stripped from individuals at Perkins Coie.
What To Know
Perkins Coie filed an emergency lawsuit against the Trump administration on Tuesday, asking the court to declare the president's order unconstitutional and grant relief to the law group as the court deems fit.
On Tuesday, the case was assigned to District Senior Judge Beryl A. Howell.
Howell was appointed to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in 2010 after being nominated by then-President Barack Obama.
She spent time from 1993-2003 on staff as general counsel for the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. The committee was chaired by Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Senator Joe Biden of Delaware during her tenure.
From 2004 until 2013, Howell was a United States Sentencing Commission commissioner. She was also named Chief Judge for the District from March 2016 until March 2017. Howell received her J.D. from Columbia University School of Law in 1983.
What People Are Saying
Attorney and Trump ally Mike Davis, Wednesday on X, formerly Twitter: "Judge Beryl Howell is an Obama judge, who previously served as a top aide to then-Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT). She previously served as the supervising judge for Mueller's bogus Russian collusion investigation against President Trump. She's a partisan hack."
CBS News Justice correspondent Scott MacFarlane, Wednesday on X: "NOW: DC judge Beryl Howell begins hearing on request by DC law firm Perkins Coie for a temporary injunction to stop Trump Administration exec. order from stripping firm of security clearances Howell begins by calling Perkins Coie a highly respected law firm."
Perkins Coie, in a Tuesday statement: "Today, we filed a legal action to prevent enforcement of an unlawful Executive Order targeting our firm. The order violates core constitutional protections, including the rights to free speech and due process, and undermines all clients' right to select counsel of their choice. We were compelled to take this step to protect our firm and safeguard the interests of our clients."
What Happens Next
Howell is hearing Perkins Coie's argument to determine whether the Trump administration can suspend the firm's security clearances.
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About the writer
Anna Commander is a Newsweek Editor and writer based in Florida. Her focus is reporting on crime, weather and breaking ... Read more