Blake Lively's Lawyer Says Case Should Focus on Claims, Not Celeb Pals

Blake Lively's trying to keep her famous friends out of her lawsuit fracas ... because this case isn't about them, it's about Justin Baldoni's treatment of her -- this according to her lawyer.

Sigrid McCawley -- Lively's high-profile attorney who famously represented victims of Jeffrey Epstein -- spoke to reporters outside a Manhattan courthouse Thursday after a hearing in the case wrapped.

McCawley told the assembled media Lively's standing up for all the young women out there ... becoming a real-life example for those who might be afraid to reveal they've been sexually harassed in the workplace.

This makes a settlement more difficult to come to, Sigrid explains ... because she says this case is about more than money -- there are principles at stake here, too.

In the same vein, McCawley says Lively is trying to protect her friends -- like Taylor Swift -- and their public images ... but, ultimately, McCawley says it's not about them. It's about the harassment she faced on the set of "It Ends With Us."

As you know ... earlier this week, court documents came out containing a text Taylor sent to Blake referring to Baldoni as a "bitch." We heard Taylor would be called as a hostile witness in the trial -- though the Baldoni team later said they probably won't need her.