President Trump’s flood-the-zone strategy in the first month of his new presidency is catching the typically sluggish judiciary flat-footed.

More than 50 lawsuits challenging major administration actions have been filed at breakneck speed, leading to whirlwind showdowns in courtrooms across the country that have created challenges for both sides in the legal debate.

Justice Department lawyers have walked back statements hastily made in court. Challengers have scrambled to gather all the plaintiffs. And judges have tried to toe the line between acting fast and acting right.

“It's hard for me to keep up. I don't know whether you have been able to keep up,” U.S. District Judge John Bates said at a Monday hearing about online health data scrubbed by the Trump administration.

Trump has signed dozens of executive actions in the weeks since returning to the White House, issuing directives upending policy across the board from immigration to gender to federal employee protections.

As legal challenges pour in, plaintiffs have sought swift relief. Judges have frequently set weekend deadlines and scheduled emergency hearings within hours of initial requests to temporarily block the actions.

“I know it didn't make your weekends relaxed. It didn't make mine relaxed either,” Bates, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, joked at Monday’s hearing.

“And I suppose you can ultimately point the finger to whoever you want — toward those who brought the lawsuit or those who were responsible for the conduct,” he continued.

The hastily scheduled proceedings at times have left lawyers unprepared, with multiple........

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