A law firm punished by President Trump sued his administration Tuesday, alleging the White House illegally targeted the firm and made it effectively impossible for its clients to obtain the representation of their choice. 

Perkins Coie, a 1,200-lawyer firm with close Democratic ties, asked a federal judge in Washington to block Trump’s executive order last week instructing agencies to strip the firm’s security clearances and access to federal buildings, as well as government contracts from companies it represents.