Civil rights groups with help from two big law firms filed two lawsuits Monday against President Donald Trump's ban on transgender people serving in the military.

Trump signed a memorandum Aug. 25 that officially codified the ban and provided implementation guidance to the Defense Department. In Seattle, Lambda Legal teamed up with Kirkland & Ellis to file a lawsuit  in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, while a group from Covington & Burling joined forces with the American Civil Liberties Union to bring a challenge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.

Several LGBT and civil rights groups promised legal action when Trump announced the ban in a tweet last month.

“This ban is disrespectful and dishonorable to the thousands of transgender men and women who are boldly and bravely serving our country,” said Lambda Legal staff attorney Sasha Buchert, a transgender military veteran, in a written statement. “It deprives our armed forces of those wanting to serve at a time when the military is already facing threats on multiple fronts. It also is disrespectful to the leadership at the Department of Defense who worked to develop and implement the current policy allowing open service, which has been operating successfully for more than a year.”

Kirkland partner Jordan Heinz said in a statement that he and fellow partner James Hurst “signed on” to work with Lambda because they believe the case is an “important legal fight.” 

“During a time when every qualified person is needed to help defend and protect our country, we should not be turning away people from the military because they are transgender,” Heinz said in a statement.