NYT:

Federal judges dealt twin blows to President Trump’s retaliation campaign on Friday by issuing temporary restraining orders blocking much of his executive orders targeting two major law firms that participated in investigations of him, Jenner & Block and WilmerHale.

The rulings barred the administration from carrying out punishments described in the executive orders, like banning their lawyers from government buildings, meetings, or jobs.

Mr. Trump went after Jenner & Block because the firm once employed a lawyer who became part of the special counsel team that investigated Mr. Trump in his first term. But Judge John Bates of Federal District Court in the District of Columbia took issue with Mr. Trump’s order because it also punished the firm for its pro bono work, a common feature of many large law firms to provide legal representation to unpopular or poor clients.

Judge Bates said he found that action “disturbing” and “troubling.”

Shortly after Judge Bates’s ruling, another judge in the same courthouse, Richard Leon, issued a similar temporary restraining order against a Trump executive order targeting a different firm, WilmerHale, where Robert S. Mueller III worked before and after he served as special counsel in the Trump-Russia investigation.

The judges let stand the parts of the president’s orders stripping security clearances from lawyers at the firms.

Jenner & Block and WilmerHale had filed lawsuits in federal court in Washington earlier Friday. Now they and a third firm, Perkins Coie, have won initial victories in court.

There is, however, an emerging divide in the legal industry, as it grapples with how to respond to Mr. Trump’s multifaceted attack on firms he accuses of acting unethically. In particular, he has sought to punish firms that have employed lawyers who also once worked on investigations and prosecutions of him. Some have tried to reach deals with him, drawing condemnation from others in the field.

Earlier Friday, President Trump said the firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom would provide $100 million in pro bono work on issues that he supports, heading off an expected executive order akin to those he aimed at the other firms….

WaPo:

Jenner’s lawsuit was brought by the law firm Cooley, while WilmerHale’s was filed by Paul D. Clement, the prominent litigator and former U.S. solicitor general under President George W. Bush. Cooley did not respond to a message seeking comment.

“This lawsuit is absolutely critical to vindicating the First Amendment, our adversarial system of justice, and the rule of law,” Clement said in a statement….

District Judge Richard Leon later issued a written order temporarily blocking much of Trump’s penalties for WilmerHale. Leon called Trump’s order clearly retaliatory, saying there was no question it “chills speech and legal advocacy, or that it qualifies as constitutional harm.”…

kadden, meanwhile, negotiated its deal before any sanctions were levied. The White House declined to comment beyond Trump’s post on social media.

Trump’s post said Skadden agreed to “merit-based hiring, promotion and retention” in addition to offering legal work to causes the president supports.

In recent days, Trump has said “law firms that have been so horrible” are now seeking to reach deals with him. “They’re just saying, ‘Where do I sign? Where do I sign?’” Trump said at a White House event Wednesday…