American College of Trial LawyersThe American College of Trial Lawyers is working with Etre Communications as it pushes back against verbal attacks on the federal judge handling a fraud case against president candidate Donald Trump's former school.

Trump has made racially charged comments about Judge Gonzalo Curiel, questioning the judge's impartiality because of his family's Mexican heritage.

Without naming Trump, the College, an invitation-only group that fosters standards for trial and appellate attorneys, expressed concern about "recent comments and their effect on the independence of the judiciary." President Michael Smith said,"Political attacks on judges pose a direct threat to judicial independence."

Etre is the Virginia-based PR firm of former Health Diagnostic Laboratory PR execs Paul Spicer and Leslie Strickler.

Smith urged political candidates and commentators to refrain from attacks on individual judges.

Eliza Gano is communications manager for the College.

Trump fired back at criticism of his remarks this week -- House Speaker Paul Ryan called the comments "racist" -- claiming his comments were "misconstrued" and changing course to argue prior rulings in the case led him to question the fairness of his trial.