President Donald Trump has directed the U.S. Justice Department to mobilize law firms to defend police officers unjustly accused of misconduct free of charge, marking the latest effort to steer the work of private lawyers to his administration's ends.

Clients who previously had no difficulty finding representation are now being turned away by those who worry that taking the cases might risk presidential disapproval," said the group's amicus brief.

Another federal judge in Washington has expressed skepticism on the legality of President Donald Trump's executive order targeting a prominent law firm, saying he was concerned that the clear purpose of the edict was punishment.