The Dallas Bar Association announced Thursday that Texas Lawbook reporter Mark Curriden is the recipient of the 2025 Stephen Philbin Award for excellence in legal reporting for his coverage of President Donald Trump’s executive orders taking aim at Big Law.
Mr. Curriden published more than two dozen articles in a series titled “President Trump v. Big Law — The First Five Turbulent Months.” Between March 6 and April 9, President Trump issued executive orders against several large law firms, several of which have Texas offices, including Texas-based Susman Godfrey, accusing the firms of supporting causes that were anti-American and employing diversity efforts that were illegal. The EO banned lawyers from federal buildings, prohibiting businesses with federal government contracts from using the target law firms and stripping its lawyers of national security clearances.
The challenges by the law firms to the EOs are currently on appeal to the federal appellate courts.
The Lawbook was also the first publication in the U.S. to report that federal judges across Texas received an email on Feb. 23 from DOGE requiring them to explain their work.
“The Texas Lawbook courageously reported on an issue of extraordinary concern and little mainstream awareness. They reported extensively and comprehensively on a subject of paramount importance to the rule of law,” the Philbin Award judges wrote.
The Dallas Morning News, a partner of The Lawbook’s, republished several of the stories in the series. Curriden, who worked at the DMN from 1996 to 2002, is a nine-time winner of the Philbin Award.
A WFAA-TV team of Tanya Eiserer, John Gibson, Charles Carter, and Morgan Young took home the Second Place Philbin Award for an investigative report exposing dangerous, unlicensed boarding homes for the elderly and disabled.
Below is a timeline of the EOs.
March 6 — President Trump issues executive order against Perkins Coie
March 11 — Perkins Coie sues Trump administration
March 12 — Judge grants Perkins Coie TRO preventing EO from being enforced
March 14 — President issues executive order against Paul Weiss
March 17 — EEOC sends demand letter to 20 large law firms — 13 with offices in Texas — seeking information on their diversity programs and those of their clients
March 20 — Paul Weiss reaches settlement agreement with president, who withdraws EO
March 21 — President issues memorandum instructing U.S. attorney general to investigate law firms that pursue “frivolous and vexatious” lawsuits against the government
March 25 — President issues EO against Jenner Block
March 27 — President issues EO against WilmerHale
March 28 — Skadden Arps, fearing an EO, reaches settlement agreement with White House
March 28 — WilmerHale and Jenner Block sue Trump administration, obtain judicial TROs
March 28 — Willkie Farr reaches settlement agreement with President Trump
April 4 — Susman Godfrey and eight other Texas firms join 504 firms in amicus brief supporting Perkins Coie
April 9 — President issues EO against Susman Godfrey, which promises to fight
April 11 — Five law firms, including Kirkland, Latham, A&O Shearman and Simpson Thacher, which have offices in Texas, reach agreements with the White House
April 11 — Susman Godfrey sues President Trump
April 15 — Judge issues TRO preventing president’s EO from being enforced against Susman Godfrey
April 23 — Susman Godfrey seeks summary judgment against President Trump
April 24 — DOJ asks judge to dismiss Susman Godfrey lawsuit
April 25 — More than 20 different groups, including former GCs, former judges, bar associations and hundreds of law firms, file amicus briefs supporting Susman Godfrey
May 2 — Judge grants summary judgment to Perkins Coie, permanently barring the EO from taking effect
May 8 — Judge AliKhan hears oral arguments in Susman Godfrey’s motion for summary judgment
June 27 — Judge AliKhan declares that President Trump’s executive order targeting Susman is an illegal act of retaliation and violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The judge also permanently enjoined all federal officials from enforcing the order against the Texas-based law firm in a 53-page opinion.
Aug. 22 — The Justice Department notifies the federal court that it plans to appeal Judge AliKhan’s ruling.