Last month the Supreme Court capped off a blockbuster term with oral arguments in Arizona v. United States—one of the handful of cases that may dramatically reshape our relationship with the federal government.
Although the term’s landmark cases have spurred endless commentary, speculation, and political maneuvering—not to mention some interesting remarks by the President—there has been relatively little written about the advocates who played an active role in shaping the highly anticipated opinions that the Court will hand down in the weeks to come.*
Each term, including its most recent, the Supreme Court decides a mere seventy-five or so cases out of the more than 8,000 petitions for certiorari seeking review. It’s no surprise then, that, for many attorneys, arguing a case before the highest court in the nation is the crowning achievement of their career. For a select few, however, it is simply business as usual.
Who are these individuals? I’ve compiled a "yearbook" of the advocates who make up the Supreme Court’s “Class of October Term 2011.” The following list ranks the "busiest" members of the Supreme Court Bar, so to speak, in descending order based on the number of cases in which they served as counsel of record. I have also noted each advocate's "firm" (loosely defined to encompass not only private law firms, but also public offices, nonprofits, etc.) and a list of their cases.
Be sure to check back on Monday for the entire list of advocates who made the Class of October Term 2011. In the meantime, here is a list of the advocates who were named as the counsel of record in more than one case during this landmark term:
Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. (10)
Firm
Department of Justice (Solicitor General)
Cases (Petitioner/Respondent)
- Arizona v. United States (R)
- FCC v. Fox Television Stations (P)
- Golan v. Holder (R)
- Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians v. Patchak (P)
- Reynolds v. United States (R)
- The Affordable Care Act Cases (P & R)
- United States v. Alvarez (P)
- United States v. Bormes (P)
- Vartelas v. Holder (R)
- Zivotofsky v. Clinton (R)
Paul D. Clement (7)
Firm
Cases (Petitioner/Respondent)
Carter G. Phillips (7)
Firm
Cases (Petitioner/Respondent)
- Douglas v. Independent Living Center of Southern California (R)
- FCC v. Fox Television Stations (R)
- Florence v. Board of Chosen Freeholders of the County of Burlington (R)
- KPMG LLP v. Cocchi (P)
- Roberts v. Sea-Land Services (P)
- Salazar v. Ramah Navajo Chapter (R)
- Southern Union Company v. United States (P)
Gregory G. Garre (4)
Firm
Cases (Petitioner/Respondent)
Michael R. Dreeben (3)
Firm
Department of Justice (Deputy Solicitor General)
Cases (Petitioner/Respondent)
Charles A. Rothfeld (2)
Firm
Cases (Petitioner/Respondent)
- Astrue v. Capato (R)
- Holder v. Gutierrez (R)
Scott L. Nelson (2)
Firm
Public Citizen Litigation Group
Cases (Petitioner/Respondent)
Eric J. Feigin (2)
Firm
Department of Justice (Assistant to the Solicitor General)
Cases (Petitioner/Respondent)
Aaron M. Panner (2)
Firm
Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd, Evans & Figel, P.L.L.C.
Cases (Petitioner/Respondent)
Ronald Eisenberg (2)
Firm
The City of Philadelphia District Attorney's Office (Deputy District Attorney)
Cases (Petitioner/Respondent)
- Greene v. Fisher (R)
- Wetzel v. Lambert (P)
Leondra R. Kruger (2)
Firm
Department of Justice (Assistant to the Solicitor General)
Cases (Petitioner/Respondent)
John J. Bursch (2)
Firm
State of Michigan (State Solicitor General)
Cases (Petitioner/Respondent)
- Howes v. Fields (P)
- Lafler v. Cooper (P)
Bryan A. Stevenson (2)
Firm
Cases (Petitioner/Respondent)
- Jackson v. Hobbs (P)
- Miller v. Alabama (P)
Curtis E. Gannon (2)
Firm
Department of Justice (Assistant to the Solicitor General)
Cases (Petitioner/Respondent)
David C. Frederick (2)
Firm
Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd, Evans & Figel, P.L.L.C.
Cases (Petitioner/Respondent)
John C. Neiman Jr. (2)
Firm
State of Alabama (State Solicitor General)
Cases (Petitioner/Respondent)
- Maples v. Thomas (R)
- Miller v. Alabama (R)
Joseph R. Palmore (2)
Firm
Department of Justice (Assistant to the Solicitor General)
Cases (Petitioner/Respondent)
*There are several noteworthy exceptions. In an article published by the Wall Street Journal here, we learned that the U.S. Solicitor General is a "Deadhead" and that Supreme Court heavyweight Paul Clement rocks out to Nirvana. Also, the New York Magazine featured an exceptional piece detailing Paul Clement's impact on the Supreme Court's docket during the 2011 term, which you can read here.
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