Partner Lisa Blatt was honored at the Georgetown University Law Center’s Supreme Court Institute annual “End of Term Reception,” which took place on April 28, 2022. Speaking of Lisa, former solicitor general Paul Clement said: “She has argued more cases than any other female advocate by a considerable margin. . . . To this day, Lisa has only found five cases out of the 42 that she has argued where she could not persuade the justices to see things her way.” Lisa spoke about the importance of mentorship to her practice: “When I returned to Williams & Connolly three years ago, I also learned that practicing law is not about how younger colleagues can help you, but how you can help your younger colleagues. This lesson has taken on added significance given the appalling disparity among male, female, and black oral advocates before the court.”
In contrast to most major law firms, Williams & Connolly’s Supreme Court and Appellate Litigation practice is led by three women: Lisa Blatt, Sarah Harris, and Amy Saharia. Sarah Harris, a former law clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas, has argued three cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, prevailing in two (one pending).* Amy Saharia, a former clerk to Justice Sonia Sotomayor, argued Sanchez v. Mayorkas before the Supreme Court last year. And partner Luke McCloud, a former law clerk to Justice Sotomayor and then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh, made his Supreme Court debut in Concepcion v. United States in January of this year, making Luke one of only a small number of black lawyers in private practice to argue before the Court.
Williams & Connolly’s track record before the Supreme Court is excellent. In 2020-2021, Lisa led the practice to five victories before the U.S. Supreme Court; three cases are pending this Term. The team’s industry-influencing victories have helped shape the legal landscape in areas as diverse as trademark, product liability, environmental, and commercial law.
Click here to read coverage by The National Law Journal; and click here to learn more about Georgetown University Law Center’s Supreme Court Institute.
* All cases vary and none is predictive.