Paul Clement is a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. He served as the 43rd Solicitor General of the United States from June 2005 until June 2008. Before his confirmation as Solicitor General, he served as Acting Solicitor General for nearly a year and as Principal Deputy Solicitor General for over three years.
He has argued over 80 cases before the United States Supreme Court, including McConnell v. FEC, Tennessee v. Lane, Rumsfeld v. Padilla, Credit Suisse v. Billing, United States v. Booker, MGM v. Grokster, ABC v. Aereo, and Hobby Lobby v. Burwell. He has argued before the Supreme Court 30 times in just the last five terms. Mr. Clement has argued more Supreme Court cases since 2000 than any lawyer in or out of government. He has also argued many important cases in the lower courts, including Walker v. Cheney, United States v. Moussaoui, and NFL v. Brady.
Mr. Clement's practice focuses on appellate matters, constitutional litigation, and strategic counseling. He represents a broad array of clients in the Supreme Court and in federal and state appellate courts. Last year, for example, he successfully argued Supreme Court cases involving significant issues of energy regulation, religious liberty, state sovereign immunity and labor law, and successfully argued an arbitration appeal to the Second Circuit, a preemption appeal to the Eighth Circuit, a constitutional appeal before the en banc Third Circuit, and secured the reversal of an adverse jury verdict in the Eleventh Circuit.
Mr. Clement focuses on high-stakes appeals. In recent years, he successfully defended a $1.2 billion jury verdict for clients in a Tenth Circuit case, while securing the reversal of an over $2 billion jury verdict for another client in the Seventh Circuit and the approval of a nearly billion dollar class action settlement in the Third Circuit. He has initiated major administrative law challenges and constitutional litigation against the federal government, such as the airlines’ challenge to fee increases and the First Amendment challenge in Allergan v. United States. He also counsels clients on a variety of strategic legal questions, whether arising from pending legislation, government inquiries or ongoing litigation.
He has undertaken substantial pro bono engagements in the Supreme Court, such as twice successfully representing the defendant in Bond v. United Statesand successfully representing the Omaha Tribe in Nebraska v. Parker, the guardian ad litem in Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl, and the defendant in Sekhar v. United States.
Following law school, Mr. Clement clerked for Judge Laurence H. Silberman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and for Associate Justice Antonin Scalia of the U.S. Supreme Court. After his clerkships, he went on to serve as Chief Counsel of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on the Constitution, Federalism and Property Rights.
Mr. Clement is a Distinguished Lecturer in Law at the Georgetown University Law Center, where he has taught in various capacities since 1998, and a Distinguished Lecturer in Government at Georgetown University. He also serves as a Senior Fellow of the Law Center’s Supreme Court Institute.
- M.Phil., with distinction
University of Cambridge, UK - J.D., magna cum laude
Harvard University - B.S.F.S., summa cum laude
Georgetown University
This event has concluded.
14th Annual Supreme Court Round Up
Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP 1 Logan Square #2000Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103
| Speakers: | |
|---|---|
| Topics: |
Federalism & Separation of Powers
|
| Sponsors: |
This event has concluded.
The Supreme Court in Transition
Boston, Massachusetts 02116| Speakers: | |
|---|---|
| Topics: |
Federalism & Separation of Powers
|
| Sponsors: |
This event has concluded.
Lunch with Paul Clement
Wrigley Mansion 2501 East Telawa TrailPhoenix, Arizona 85016
| Speakers: | |
|---|---|
| Topics: |
Federalism & Separation of Powers
|
| Sponsors: |
This event has concluded.
2016 National Lawyers Convention
The Jurisprudence and Legacy of Justice Scalia
The Mayflower HotelWashington, DC 20036
This event has concluded.
13th Annual Supreme Court Round-Up
SAUL EWING LLP Thirty Eighth Floor Centre Square 1500 Market StreetPHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania 19102
| Speakers: | |
|---|---|
| Topics: |
Federalism & Separation of Powers
|
| Sponsors: |
Preview: South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc.
Federalism & Separation of Powers Practice Group Teleforum
The Dormant Commerce Clause of the Constitution prohibits states from imposing excessive burdens on interstate...
The Evolution of Justice Scalia's Views on Administrative Law - Event Audio/Video
2016 National Lawyers Convention
For all of his many contributions to modern American jurisprudence, no area of law bears...
Keynote Address by Paul Clement - Event Audio/Video
2016 National Student Symposium
After nearly 30 years of serving as an intellectual titan and conservative champion on the...
The Electorate and the Courts - Event Audio/Video
2013 National Lawyers Convention
The Federalist Society's Practice Groups presented this panel on "The Electorate and the Courts" on...
Federalism and Federal Power - Event Audio/Video
2012 National Lawyers Convention
The Rehnquist Court was famous for its resuscitation of some fairly modest constitutional limits on...