Seth P. Waxman

Seth P. Waxman
Name	Seth P. Waxman
Office	Solicitor General of the United States
President	Bill Clinton
Term start	November 13, 1997
Term end	January 20, 2001
Predecessor	Walter Dellinger
Successor	Barbara Underwood (Acting)
Alma mater	Harvard College (BA), Yale Law School (JD)

Seth P. Waxman is an American attorney renowned as one of the nation's preeminent appellate advocates, particularly before the Supreme Court of the United States. He served as the Solicitor General of the United States under President Bill Clinton and is a former chair of the Appellate Practice group at the international law firm Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr. Waxman has argued over 80 cases before the Supreme Court, representing a diverse array of clients from the United States Department of Justice to major corporations and foreign governments, and is a recipient of the prestigious American Bar Association's John H. Pickering Award.

Early life and education

Seth Waxman was born in Hartford, Connecticut, and grew up in the nearby town of West Hartford. He pursued his undergraduate studies at Harvard College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1973. He then attended Yale Law School, where he served as an editor for the Yale Law Journal and earned his Juris Doctor in 1977. Following law school, he clerked for Judge Gerhard Gesell on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia and later for Justice Thurgood Marshall on the Supreme Court of the United States.

Legal career

After his clerkships, Waxman joined the law firm Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering in Washington, D.C., where he began to develop a specialty in appellate and complex litigation. His early career involved significant work on constitutional law, administrative law, and telecommunications matters. He became a partner at the firm and later chaired its Supreme Court and Appellate Practice, establishing himself as a leading figure in the legal community long before his government service.

Solicitor General of the United States

In 1997, President Bill Clinton nominated Waxman to serve as the Solicitor General of the United States, succeeding Walter Dellinger. He was confirmed by the United States Senate and served from 1997 until the end of the Clinton administration in 2001. As the federal government's chief advocate before the Supreme Court, he supervised all government appellate litigation and personally argued numerous high-profile cases, including those involving the Violence Against Women Act, the Food and Drug Administration's authority over tobacco, and the constitutionality of the Line Item Veto Act.

Supreme Court advocacy

Waxman has argued an extraordinary number of cases before the Supreme Court, a record that places him among the most experienced advocates in modern history. His arguments span a vast range of legal issues, including intellectual property, antitrust, securities law, federal jurisdiction, and constitutional rights. Notable representations include successfully defending the constitutionality of the McCain-Feingold Act's campaign finance provisions in McConnell v. FEC, and representing the Republic of Argentina in sovereign debt disputes. He is a frequent participant in amicus curiae briefs and is known for his clear, persuasive oral advocacy.

Later career and notable cases

Returning to private practice at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, Waxman has continued to handle landmark litigation. He successfully represented the University of Texas at Austin in the affirmative action case Fisher v. University of Texas, and Microsoft Corporation in a significant patent case, Microsoft Corp. v. i4i Ltd. Partnership. He has also represented Google in copyright disputes, major pharmaceutical companies in Hatch-Waxman Act litigation, and argued for detainee rights at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. He served as the court-appointed monitor for the Los Angeles Police Department following a consent decree.

Personal life

Waxman is married to Deborah Waxman, and they have two children. He is actively involved in legal education and professional organizations, serving on the board of the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia and as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center. A dedicated advocate for pro bono work, he has received honors such as the Thurgood Marshall Award from the American Bar Association and is a fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers.

Category:American lawyers Category:Solicitors General of the United States Category:Harvard University alumni Category:Yale Law School alumni