Practice Area

Former Government Appellate Professionals

Connect with the people who briefed, argued, and decided appeals for the government.

Appellate

Appellate Experience From Both Sides of the Bench

Appeals are a different discipline from trial work: a cold record, a legal audience, and one chance to frame the question. The professionals below briefed and argued appeals for the government and decided them from the bench, and that is the judgment you engage.

Members in this practice area

Appellate

Showing 1–10 of 68

Ranked by relevance to Appellate from verified member profiles.

Anne M. Voigts

Verified13 years of government experience

Head, National Appellate Practice, Pillsbury LLP

AI SummaryFormer clerk for Justice John Paul Stevens and Judge Stephen Reinhardt, and extern for Judge Sonia Sotomayor. Current appellate specialist and litigator, advising on critical motions and complex legal issues.

Current

PartnerPillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

AttorneyAttorney Advisor

Former Government

ExternCourt of Appeals for the Second Circuit

ResearchLegal Assistant

Practice Areas

Sectors

Silicon Valley, CaliforniaView Profile →

Jeffrey P. Metzler

Verified11 years of government experience

Partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

AI SummaryServed as Acting General Counsel for NYC Council and Assistant Solicitor General for NY State; specializes in litigation, compliance, and government investigations.

Current

PartnerPillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

AttorneyCivil Litigation

Former Government

Chief of LitigationNew York City Council

AttorneyEmployment

Practice Areas

Sectors

New York City, New YorkView Profile →

Andrew L. Fish

Verified14 years of government experience

White Collar| Trial and Appellate Attorney| Duane Morris LLP

AI SummaryServed 14 years as federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, specializing in white-collar crime and securities fraud; currently practices white-collar criminal defense and internal investigations.

Current

White Collar, Trial and Appellate AttorneyDuane Morris LLP

Civil LitigationCriminal Defense

Former Government

Assistant US AttorneyU.S. Attorney’s Office

Civil LitigationCybersecurity

Practice Areas

Sectors

New York, New YorkView Profile →

Thomas C. Hill

Verified4 years of government experience

Partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

AI SummaryServed five years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, specializing in criminal trials and appeals; expertise in white-collar crime, regulatory enforcement, and corporate investigations.

Current

PartnerPillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

AttorneyEnvironmental Law

Former Government

Assistant U.S. AttorneyU.S. Attorney’s Office

ResearchLegal Assistance

Practice Areas

Sectors

Washington, District of ColumbiaView Profile →

Michael J. Showalter

Verified1 years of government experience

Issues & Appeals at Wiley Rein LLP

AI SummaryMichael J. Showalter served as a law clerk for the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the U.S. District Court. His expertise in appellate litigation, constitutional law, and statutory interpretation suits him for roles in civil litigation and administrative litigation.

Current

Special CounselWiley Rein LLP

Civil LitigationHearings and Appeals

Former Government

Law clerkCourt of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

Law ClerkResearch

Practice Areas

Sectors

WashingtonView Profile →

Lukman Azeez

Verified2 years of government experience

Litigation Partner at Wiley Rein LLP

AI SummaryLukman Azeez served as a law clerk for the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and is a Litigation Partner at Wiley Rein LLP, specializing in commercial disputes, constitutional law, and appellate litigation.

Current

Litigation PartnerWiley Rein LLP

Civil LitigationTechnology

Former Government

Law Clerk Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

Law Clerk

Practice Areas

Sectors

Washington D.C.View Profile →

Wesley E. Weeks

Verified1 years of government experience

Intellectual Property Litigator at Wiley Rein LLP

AI SummaryWesley E. Weeks served as a law clerk for the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He is an intellectual property litigator for pharmaceutical and technology companies.

Current

PartnerWiley Rein LLP

Civil LitigationIntellectual Property Attorney

Former Government

Law clerkCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Law ClerkResearch

Practice Areas

Sectors

Washington, District of ColumbiaView Profile →

Eve Klindera Reed

Verified1 years of government experience

Telecom Media & Technology Partner at Wiley Rein LLP

AI SummaryEve served as a law clerk for the U.S. District Court and is a partner at Wiley Rein LLP, specializing in telecommunications, media, and technology law.

Current

PartnerWiley Rein LLP

Civil LitigationTechnology

Former Government

Law clerkU.S. District Court

Law ClerkResearch

Practice Areas

Sectors

Washington, District of ColumbiaView Profile →

Richard A. Simpson

Verified4 years of government experience

Partner and Deputy General Counsel at Wiley Rein LLP

AI SummaryRichard A. Simpson served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, specializing in civil and quasi-criminal matters.

Current

Adjunct ProfessorUniversity of North Carolina School of Law

Education, Curriculum and TeachingProfessor

Former Government

Assistant U.S. AttorneyU.S. District Court

Litigation Support SpecialistAppellate Litigation

Practice Areas

Sectors

Washington, District of ColumbiaView Profile →

Thomas M. Johnson, Jr

Verified4 years of government experience

Co-Chair, Issues & Appeals at Wiley Rein LLP

AI SummaryThomas M. Johnson, Jr. served as General Counsel at the FCC, managing a team of over 70 attorneys. His expertise includes appellate litigation, administrative law, and communications law, making him well-suited for regulatory and high-stakes litigation matters.

Current

Partner & Co-Chair, Appellate PracticeWiley Rein LLP

Environmental LawCivil Litigation

Former Government

Deputy Solicitor GeneralAttorney General, Office of

Legal Officers and Practitioners

Practice Areas

Sectors

WashingtonView Profile →

Use Cases

Common Reasons People Seek Appellate Expertise

A few of the situations these professionals are engaged for, among many:

Appeal Assessment

An adverse judgment worth challenging deserves an independent read on which issues can actually win on appeal, from people who have evaluated thousands of records.

Briefing

Appellate briefs are judged on framing and craft. Former government appellate lawyers wrote for the most demanding courts in the country.

Oral Argument Preparation

Moot courts run by former appellate judges and advocates prepare counsel for the questions the panel will actually ask.

Preserving Error at Trial

Issues not preserved at trial are lost on appeal. Appellate counsel embedded during trial protect the record while it is still being made.

Further Review Petitions

Petitions for rehearing, en banc review, and certiorari are long odds made shorter by people who know what makes a case worth a court's attention.

Amicus Support

Amicus strategy and drafting benefit from advocates who know which voices courts credit and how a brief actually helps a panel.

Backgrounds

Some of the Appellate Backgrounds You'll Find

Members come from the institutions where appeals are made and decided:

Office of the Solicitor General

The office that represents the United States in the Supreme Court. Former OSG lawyers map to high-court strategy and the hardest briefing there is.

DOJ Appellate Sections

The Civil and Criminal Divisions' appellate sections brief and argue the government's appeals nationwide. Alumni map to circuit-court strategy and briefing.

Federal Appellate Judges and Clerks

Former judges and their clerks read briefs the way panels do. They map to case evaluation, moots, and framing decisions.

State Solicitors General

State solicitors general run their states' appellate practices. Alumni map to state high-court and multistate appellate work.

U.S. Attorney Appellate Divisions

U.S. Attorney appellate divisions handle the government's appeals in each district. Alumni map to criminal and civil appeals alike.

Agency Appellate Counsel

Agency appellate counsel defended rules and orders on review. They map to appeals where an agency's action is the question.

Why It Matters

The Reader's Perspective

On appeal, experience with the court matters as much as experience with the case. Browse the ranked professionals above and reach out directly to the background that fits your appeal.

FAQs

Working With These Professionals

What does government appellate experience add?

Appellate judges and government appellate lawyers spend careers learning what persuades a panel. That reader's-eye view is the scarcest resource in an appeal.

When should appellate counsel get involved?

Ideally before trial ends: preserving error and shaping the record are appellate work done early. Post-judgment engagement still leaves room for issue selection and briefing.

How do I choose the right background?

Case evaluation and moots point to former judges; briefing points to former OSG and DOJ appellate lawyers; agency-review cases point to former agency appellate counsel.

Can they work alongside my existing counsel?

Yes. Many members consult behind the scenes on strategy and drafting while trial counsel remains counsel of record.

Is this only for federal appeals?

No. State-court appeals, administrative appeals, and arbitration-related review all appear in members' practices; match the forum in each profile.

How do I engage someone listed here?

Profiles link directly to each member's contact details, with no intermediary and no fee. Reach out to the person whose background matches your appeal.

Join Former Gov

Briefed or Decided Appeals for the Government?

Litigants and counsel searching this page are looking for exactly your background. Join the directory so they can find you directly.

Join Today