Advocacy in the Thomas-era Court

On October 21, 2021, the Gray Center and the Heritage Foundation co-hosted a special event to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the confirmation of Justice Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court of the United States. This event, consisting of a daytime law symposium and evening lecture, brought together jurists, legal academics and practitioners, including many of the Justice’s former clerks, where we discussed his jurisprudence and impact on the Court over the past three decades.

The fourth and final panel featured a Solicitors General discussion about advocacy in the U.S. Supreme Court, with Justice Thomas as a key influencer, over the last thirty years. It included: Noel Francisco, Partner-in-Charge of the Washington office of Jones Day and 47th Solicitor General of the United States; Paul Clement, Partner at Kirkland & Ellis and 43rd Solicitor General of the United States; Lisa Blatt, Partner and Chair of the Supreme Court and Appellate practice group of Williams & Connolly LLPm and former Assistant to the Solicitor General of the United States, and Jeffrey Wall, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP and former acting Solicitor General of the United States. It was moderated by Gray Center Co-Executive Director Jennifer Mascott.

This episode features Lisa S. Blatt, Paul D. Clement, Noel J. Francisco, Jennifer Mascott, and Jeffrey Wall.