On October 5, 2020, Bloomberg Law featured Williams & Connolly’s Supreme Court and Appellate Litigation practice in an article titled “Big Law Emerging as Pipeline for Female Supreme Court Advocates.”  The article highlighted the recent trend of women Supreme Court advocates emerging from private law firms rather than the traditional pipeline of the solicitor general’s office.  Partners Lisa Blatt and Sarah Harris were featured among the Supreme Court advocates in the article.  Next term, Sarah will present oral argument to the Court on behalf of petitioner Manfredo Salinas in Salinas v. U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, where the question presented is whether courts of appeal have jurisdiction to review Railroad Retirement Board decisions denying requests to reopen prior benefits determinations.  The article notes that “[a] determined mentor like Blatt willing to convince clients to give a woman a shot is vital in trying to break into the most elite circle of appellate practice, advocates say.”

Lisa serves as Chair of Williams & Connolly’s Supreme Court and Appellate Litigation practice.  She has argued 40 cases before the United States Supreme Court – more than any woman in history – and has prevailed in 37.*  Lisa began her career at Williams & Connolly as an associate before joining the general counsel’s office at the Department of Energy, followed by thirteen years in the Office of the Solicitor General.

Sarah clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas on the Supreme Court of the United States, and before joining the firm, she served as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Counsel at the United States Department of Justice.   

Click here to read “Big Law Emerging as Pipeline for Female Supreme Court Advocates,” published by Bloomberg Law.

*All cases vary and none is predictive.