Neal K. Katyal '91

Neal Katyal '91 is the Paul and Patricia Saunders Professor of Law at Georgetown University and a Partner at Milbank LLP. He previously served as Acting Solicitor General of the United States. He has argued 52 cases before the Supreme Court of the United States. His cases include successfully striking down the Guantanamo military tribunals, successfully defending the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act, and successfully defending the Peace Cross in Maryland. He recently won Moore v. Harper, a case that former Judge Michael Luttig called the most important case for American democracy ever. At the age of 55, he has already argued more Supreme Court cases in U.S. history than has any minority attorney, recently breaking the record held by Thurgood Marshall. Among other honors, he was named Litigator of the Year in 2017 and 2023 by The American Lawyer; one of the top 200 lawyers in the United States by Forbes magazine (in 2024); one of the 500 Leading Lawyers by Lawdragon Magazine (one of three lawyers named every single year from 2005 to 2024); one of the 500 Most Influential People in Washington, DC by Washingtonian magazine (2022, 2023, 2024); Appellate MVP by Law360 numerous times; winner of Financial Times Innovative Lawyer Award in two different categories (both private and public law, in 2017 and again in 2023), one of GQ's Men of the Year (2017), 40 Most Influential Lawyers of the Last Decade Nationwide by National Law Journal (2010), and 90 Greatest Washington Lawyers Over the Last 30 Years by Legal Times (2008). Mr. Katyal also won the National Law Journal's pro bono award in 2004. He has appeared on virtually every major American news program, as well as on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Everybody's Live with John Mulaney. He has also performed on Netflix's House of Cards and Showtime's Billions (where he played himself in both series).