President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting Perkins Coie and the White House memo affecting some Covington & Burling employees are both presidential documents with equal authority, according to administrative and constitutional law experts.
“I don’t think it makes any difference whether the president issues an executive order, signs a memorandum, or scribbles something on the back of a napkin,” said Josh Blackman, a professor at South Texas College of Law Houston. “What gives the document the force of law are the president’s statutory and constitutional authorities.”