Senior Litigation Counsel, New Civil Liberties Alliance
Throughout his 40-year career in private law practice in Washington, D.C., Richard Samp has specialized in appellate litigation with a focus on constitutional law. He served as Chief Counsel of the Washington Legal Foundation for more than 30 years. He has participated directly in more than 200 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. Samp is a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Michigan Law School and clerked for a federal judge in Detroit.
Of Counsel, Wimberly, Lawson, Steckel, Schneider & Stine P.C.
Elizabeth K. (Betsy) Dorminey is of counsel with the firm. She received a B.A. magna cum laude from the University of Georgia in 1976, a license ès lettres from the Sorbonne in 1978, a J.D. from UGA’s Law School in 1981, and an LL.M. from Columbia in 1984. She clerked for the Hon. Ed Carnes on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and worked for the U.S. Departments of Justice and Commerce prior to joining the firm. Ms. Dorminey is a member of the State Bars of Georgia, Connecticut, and New York, and is admitted to practice in Federal District and Appellate Courts throughout the Southeast. With Larry Stine and Mark Waschak, she is co-author of “Occupational Safety & Health Law: Compliance and Practice” (Thomson/West 2008). Her practice concentrates in all aspects of employer defense, including but not limited to litigation the Fair Labor Standards Act, Title VII employment discrimination, and occupational safety and health. She is a member of the Executive Committee of the Labor & Employment Practice Group of the Federalist Society, and serves on the Board of the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art.
Partner, Graves Garrett Greim LLC
Edward “Eddie” Greim focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation, free speech and election law, and internal investigations and whistleblower claims. He has been recognized for his successful representation of businesses and individuals in commercial litigation while also being named a “go-to” lawyer on policy and constitutional issues.
Eddie was named a Constitutional and Election Law Trailblazer by the National Law Journal in 2020. His free speech and election law practice has included numerous constitutional challenges to election and campaign finance laws; representation of clients in state and federal ethics and campaign finance enforcement actions and investigations; initiative petition drafting and litigation; litigation and advice regarding First Amendment protections for petition circulation; representation of not-for-profit clients before state regulators; litigation of state and federal redistricting issues; and advice on campaign and election law compliance.
Eddie complements his trial work in complex, high-profile commercial and constitutional cases with oral advocacy and briefing in important appeals. Recognized as a Missouri Lawyers Media POWER 30 Appellate Attorney in 2021, he has argued before the Missouri and Kansas supreme courts multiple times, other state appellate courts across the country, and before the Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, and Tenth U.S. Courts of Appeals.
Eddie’s notable work for clients includes:
Recovering substantial compensation and injunctive relief for plaintiffs, in complex multiyear litigation, as lead counsel in the first and only nationwide class action certified against the Internal Revenue Service for violating taxpayer protection statutes when it targeted hundreds of groups based on their political viewpoints.
Successful First Amendment challenge to Missouri’s 2016 campaign finance restrictions.
Successful challenge to a vast, multiyear, secret criminal investigation into Wisconsin political groups and nonprofits, and follow-up challenge to expose role of state ethics board which secretly aided the investigation and was later dissolved by the legislature.
U.S. Supreme Court amicus brief for the National Republican Redistricting Trust in the 2019 Rucho litigation, and federal and state redistricting litigation and advice since 2011.
Challenges under the First Amendment in federal court, and in briefing to the Michigan Supreme Court on state constitutional grounds, to unprecedented emergency powers claimed by Michigan Governor in 2020.
Representation of numerous public officials and private citizens who are subject to “lawfare” attacks based on their political viewpoints or policy objectives.
Oversight of multiple internal investigations.
Eddie received his law degree from Harvard Law School in 2002, where he taught on the Board of Student Advisers, received the Dean’s Award for Leadership, and served as President of the Harvard Catholic Law Students Association. He received two bachelor’s degrees, summa cum laude, in economics and political science from the University of Missouri.
A native of Excelsior Springs, Missouri, Eddie lives in Kansas City with his family. He enjoys Missouri and military history. On many weekends, he can be found with his wife and daughters exploring sites of local interest. He enjoys reading and debating and has given presentations or organized discussions at numerous gatherings, formal and informal, of professional and personal interest.
Deputy Attorney General, California Department of Justice
Brian Means is a nationally recognized expert in the area of postconviction review. He graduated with Great Distinction, Order of the Coif, and Order of the Barristers from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. He was the recipient of seven American Jurisprudence Awards. Following graduation, he clerked for the Honorable Garland E. Burrell, Jr., federal judge. There, he worked on several high-profile cases, including the criminal action against the Unabomber, Theodore Kackynski. For the past fourteen years he has worked as a Deputy Attorney General with the California Department of Justice, and has held the position of supervisor of the federal habeas corpus team. He works almost exclusively on federal habeas corpus litigation, practicing in the Eastern District of California, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. He has appeared as a legal analyst on CNN, MSNBC, and the California Channel. He writes the Federal Habeas Manual: A Guide to Habeas Corpus Litigation, published by Westlaw, and the Federal Habeas Practitioner Note, a quarterly publication distributed nationally to habeas practitioners and members of the judiciary.
Partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth
A co-leader of Hunton Andrews Kurth’s environmental practice, Deidre is lauded in Chambers USA, 2016 as “extremely capable,” “very familiar with the regulations and agencies,” and excels at giving clients “good insight into getting an expeditious outcome.” Her practice focuses exclusively on environmental, energy and administrative law.
Deidre represents clients on permitting, compliance and litigation relating to the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other environmental statutes. She frequently counsels clients on administrative rulemaking and policy, providing regulatory clarifications when necessary, and drafting federal and state legislation on myriad intricate issues. She is also well known for negotiating and obtaining permits for complicated energy and development projects. Her clients include development companies, oil and natural gas pipelines, electric utilities, agricultural interests, state and local agencies, and various trade associations.
Prior to entering private practice, Deidre served as assistant general counsel of the Army at the Pentagon, advising the secretary of the Army on environmental and land use issues involving the Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works and section 404 Regulatory program, as well as the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) program. Deidre has extensive experience with federal regulatory agencies, military departments and the US Department of Justice.
Associate, Hunton & Williams LLP
Kerry L. McGrath is an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Hunton & Williams LLP and advises clients on environmental, administrative, and homeland security law.
Brandon Simmons is an attorney in Washington, D.C. He clerked for Chief Judge J.L. Edmondson on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Partner, Morrison Foerster, LLP
Deanne E. Maynard, chair of the Appellate and Supreme Court Practice Group, is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office, and a former Assistant to the Solicitor General at the United States Department of Justice.
Ms. Maynard has argued 12 cases before the Supreme Court of the United States, and she has filed over 100 briefs in that Court. Notably, she has worked on some of the most important business cases over the last several Terms. Just last Term, she argued and prevailed in Ransom v. FIA Card Services, a case involving the interpretation of the federal bankruptcy statute. Ms. Maynard also has substantial knowledge and understanding of cutting-edge antitrust and intellectual property issues. Her arguments include the patent case MedImmune, Inc. v. Genentech, Inc. and the antitrust case Pacific Bell Telephone Company v. linkLine Communications, Inc. She was also a principal author of the briefs for the United States in Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly and Quanta Computer, Inc. v. LG Electronics, Inc., and briefs at the certiorari stage in Bilski v. Doll and American Needle, Inc. v. National Football League.
In addition to her substantial Supreme Court experience, Ms. Maynard has argued and briefed significant cases in the federal courts of appeals. Her appellate experience mirrors the wide-ranging litigation breadth of the firm, running the gamut from patent appeals in the Federal Circuit to appeals in the other federal courts of appeals on antitrust, securities law, and other intellectual property issues.
Ms. Maynard served in the Solicitor General’s office from 2004-2009. Before joining the Solicitor General’s office, Ms. Maynard was a partner at Jenner & Block in Washington, D.C. Her practice at Jenner involved a wide variety of complex litigation matters at all levels of the federal judiciary, ranging from a multi-billion dollar government contracts case to media and First Amendment litigation.
After law school, Ms. Maynard clerked twice on the Supreme Court of the United States. During the October 1994 Term, she clerked for Justice Stephen Breyer in his first year on the Court. During the 1993 Term, she clerked for retired Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell and affiliated with Justice John Paul Stevens. From 1991-1993, Ms. Maynard clerked for Judge Stanley Harris of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Ms. Maynard graduated magna cum laude in 1991 from Harvard Law School, where she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. She earned a B.A., with distinction, in English from the University of Virginia, where she was also Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Kappa.
Ms. Maynard is the President-elect of the Coke Appellate Inn of Court. She serves as Chair of the Jefferson Trust, an initiative of the University of Virginia Alumni Association.
Ms. Maynard is listed as a Leading Individual in Best Lawyers in America 2011 and 2012, Appellate Law in Chambers USA 2011, and Legal 500 US 2011.
Partner, Morrison Foerster, LLP
Jordan Eth is Co-Chair of the firm's Securities Litigation, Enforcement, and White-Collar Defense Group. He is a nationally recognized litigator, representing public companies and their officers and directors in securities class actions, SEC investigations, derivative suits, mergers and acquisitions litigation, and internal investigations. In 2008, Mr. Eth received a California Lawyer Attorney of the Year Award for co-leading the successful defense of JDS Uniphase Corp. and its former executives in a securities class action jury trial seeking $20 billion in damages.
Mr. Eth has 25 years of experience handling complex and high-stakes litigation. He has represented dozens of companies and individuals in a broad range of industries, including financial services, computer software and hardware, life sciences, and consumer products. Mr. Eth is a Lecturer at Stanford Law School, currently teaching “Modern Securities Fraud Litigation: Public and Private Enforcement.”
Mr. Eth is a frequent speaker across the country on securities litigation topics and actively participates in programs put on by The SEC Institute, the Practising Law Institute, and the Stanford Directors' College. He has also authored many articles on securities litigation. List of Mr. Eth's speaking engagements.
Mr. Eth is recommended by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Legal 500 US, The Best Lawyers in America, Benchmark Litigation and PLC Which Lawyer? In 2010, he was selected by his peers as one of Law 360's 10 Most Admired Securities Attorneys.
He served as a law clerk to the Honorable Chief Judge Robert F. Peckham, United States District Court for the Northern District of California, from August 1985 through August 1986. From 1980 through 1982, Mr. Eth worked as an economist in Washington, D.C., first for the United States Department of Energy and then for the Budget Committee of the United States House of Representatives.
Mr. Eth received his J.D. from Stanford Law School, was elected to the Order of the Coif, and served as Co-President of the Moot Court Board. He received his B.A. in Economics from Swarthmore College, with highest honors and Phi Beta Kappa.
Deputy District Attorney, Philadelphia District Attorney's Office
Ronald Eisenberg heads the Law Division of the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office. The 60 lawyers in the division handle appeals, habeas corpus and civil litigation, and legislative matters. Mr. Eisenberg has appeared at all levels of the state and federal court system, and has argued several cases in the United States Supreme Court.
Mr. Eisenberg is a member of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Investigating Grand Jury Task Force and the Advisory Committee for the Pennsylvania Suggested Standard Criminal Jury Instructions. He has represented his office on the Pennsylvania Advisory Committee on Wrongful Convictions, was an adjunct professor at Temple University School of Law, teaching legal writing and research, and has served on the Pennsylvania Criminal Rules and Appellate Rules Committees. He is a past president and current board member of the Association of Government Attorneys in Capital Litigation, a national organization of capital prosecutors.
Mr. Eisenberg received his bachelor's degree from Haverford College in 1978 and his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1981.
J.D., University of Pennsylvania
B.A., Haverford College
William T. Comfort, III Professor of Law, New York University School of Law
Roderick Hills teaches and writes in public law areas, including constitutional law, local government law, land-use regulation, administrative law, and statutory interpretation. His focus in each area is on the rules and policies governing division of powers between central and subcentral governments. He holds bachelor’s and law degrees from Yale University. Following law school, he served as a law clerk for Judge Patrick Higginbotham of the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and practiced law in Colorado. Hills previously taught at the University of Michigan Law School from 1994 to 2006. He is a member of the state bar of New York and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Touching on the Merits When Deciding Class Certification Motions: Ohio's Experience
Richard A. Samp
The Supreme Court’s Wal-Mart decision1 put to rest persistent arguments that federal courts, when deciding...
Losing Confidence in Confidentiality: Do Expanding Exceptions to the Attorney-Client Privilege Gut Its Purpose?
True or false: attorney-client communications, simply speaking, are privileged? False, both under law and—more importantly—in...
Veiled Meaning: Tolerance and Prohibition of the Hijab in the U.S. and France
Elizabeth K. Dorminey
Introduction France and the U.S. have much in common. Both nations share a commitment to...
Montana Takes on Citizens United
Justin Whitworth, Edward D. Greim
From the Montana Supreme Court comes a potential challenge to the United States Supreme Court’s...
Wood v. Milyard - Post-Decision SCOTUScast
Brian Means
On April 24, 2012, the Supreme Court announced its decision in Wood v. Milyard. The question...
EPA and U.S. Army Corps Seek to Expand Jurisdiction Under the Clean Water Act
Deidre G. Duncan, Kerry L. McGrath
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“Corps”) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) (jointly, the...
Does the Takings Clause Have an Expiration Date?
Michael James Barton, Brandon Simmons
Overview In the last Term, the United States Supreme Court declined to review two property...
Credit Suisse Securities v. Simmonds - Post-Decision SCOTUScast
Deanne Maynard, Jordan Eth
On March 26, 2012, the Supreme Court announced its decision in Credit Suisse Securities v. Simmonds....
Martel v. Clair - Post-Decision SCOTUScast
Ronald Eisenberg
On March 5, 2012, the Supreme Court announced its decision in Martel v. Clair. The question...
Douglas v. Independent Living Center of Southern California - Post-Decision SCOTUScast
Roderick M. Hills
On February 22, 2012, the Supreme Court announced its decision in Douglas v. Independent Living Center...