(Reuters) -A judge in Washington temporarily blocked key parts of Donald Trump's executive order targeting law firm Jenner & Block on Friday even as another firm, Skadden Arps, reached a deal with the Republican president to avoid a similar order.

U.S. District Judge John Bates at a hearing called Trump's order against Jenner & Block "reprehensible" and said it appeared to bar lawyers at the firm from entering courthouses, which are managed by the executive branch.

The White House, Justice Department and Jenner & Block did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Jenner & Block and WilmerHale sued Trump's administration on Friday over his executive orders targeting the law firms, escalating a clash between the president and a large swath of the legal profession.

The firms asked a court in Washington to block Trump's orders, restricted the firms' access to government buildings, officials and federal contracting work.

"The President's sweeping attack on WilmerHale (and other firms) is unprecedented and unconstitutional," WilmerHale's lawsuit said.

Jenner's lawsuit said, "Every day the Order remains in effect, it causes Jenner escalating and irreparable harm to its reputation and finances."

The firms said Trump's orders violate their rights under the U.S. Constitution and are meant to punish opposition to the president and his administration.

Both WilmerHale and Jenner have ties to lawyers who were involved in a U.S. Justice Department probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, which Trump has repeatedly called a "witch hunt."

The White House in a statement on Friday said law firms had "weaponized the legal process to try to punish and jail their political opponents." Trump's executive orders are "lawful directives to ensure that the President's agenda is implemented and that law firms comply with the law," White House spokesman Harrison Fields said.

WilmerHale in a statement called Trump's order against the firm "a plainly unlawful attack on the bedrock principles of our nation's legal system - our clients' right to counsel and the First Amendment."

The lawsuits refer to a deal Wall Street law firm Paul Weiss struck with the White House to rescind a similar executive order. Paul Weiss agreed to dedicate $40 million in free legal services to "mutually agreed" causes supported by the administration.

They said the Paul Weiss deal highlighted the retaliatory nature of the administration's orders. Paul Weiss has defended its deal as consistent with the firm's principles, amid heavy criticism from some lawyers and law firms that it had caved to Trump.

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell on March 12 temporarily blocked most of an earlier executive order Trump issued against Perkins Coie, finding Trump's actions were unconstitutional.  

Howell said the Republican president was fixated on Perkins Coie's work for his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.

Trump's orders against WilmerHale and Jenner & Block also focused on the 2016 race, citing WilmerHale's ties to former U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller who investigated Russian contacts with Trump's campaign.

The executive order against Jenner & Block cited its past employment of Andrew Weissmann, a top federal prosecutor involved in Mueller's investigation.

'CHILLING EFFECT'

In addition to his orders targeting specific firms, Trump directed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi late last week to probe any lawyers and law firms that sued the federal government over the past eight years. Trump said lawyers were helping to fuel fraud in the immigration system and had sought to undermine elections.

WilmerHale, Jenner & Block and Perkins Coie are among more than a dozen large firms representing clients in pending lawsuits against the administration. Jenner's cases include one seeking to protect transgender rights.

WilmerHale represents a group of inspectors general who allege the administration illegally ousted them. The firm also played a key role in lawsuits against the prior Trump administration.

Trump's executive orders sought to terminate federal contracts held by the law firms' clients if the firms had any role in them.

Jenner's lawsuit said more than 40% of its revenue over the last five years comes from government contractors, subcontractors or affiliates. The firm said several of its clients were worried their work with Jenner could affect their relationship with the federal government.

WilmerHale in its lawsuit said Trump's order "will inevitably cause extensive, lasting damage to WilmerHale's current and future business prospects."

A group of 20 Democratic state attorneys general and the American Bar Association warned on Wednesday that Trump's efforts posed dangers to the legal profession and the courts.

The attorneys general in a letter criticized what they called the "chilling effect" of Trump's executive orders targeting law firms and his calls to impeach federal judges.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York, David Thomas in Chicago and Mike Scarcella in Washington; Editing by David Bario, Bill Berkrot, Howard Goller and Will Dunham)