Washington, D.C. — The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) has announced the winners of the 2020 Supreme Court Best Brief Awards. The Best Brief Awards are given annually in recognition of excellence in brief writing in the U.S. Supreme Court. The awards honor state attorneys, who collectively handle more Supreme Court cases than almost anyone else in the legal community.
The winners were selected by a panel of independent Supreme Court experts who are experienced Supreme Court practitioners.
The 2020 Best Brief Award winners are:
California: Petition for Certiorari of California et al. in California v. Texas, No. 19-840. The authors were Solicitor General Michael J. Mongan, Deputy Solicitors General Samuel P. Siegel and Helen H. Hong, Supervising Deputy Attorney General Kathleen Boergers, Deputy Attorneys General Nimrod Pitsker Elias and Neli N. Palma, and Associate Deputy Solicitor General Amari L. Hammonds.
Brief of Respondents California et al. in Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California, No. 18-587. The authors were Solicitor General Michael J. Mongan, Senior Assistant Attorney General Michael L. Newman, Deputy Solicitors General Samuel P. Siegel and Joshua Patashnik, and Deputy Attorneys General Shubhra Shivpuri and James F. Zahradka II.
New York: Brief of Respondents New York et al. in McAleenan v. Batalla Vidal, No. 18-589. The authors were Solicitor General Barbara D. Underwood, Deputy Solicitor General Anisha S. Dasgupta, Assistant Deputy Solicitor General Andrew W. Amend, and Assistant Solicitor General David S. Frankel.
Oklahoma, Georgia, and Arizona: Amicus Brief of Oklahoma, et al. in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, No, 18-1195. The authors were, for Oklahoma, Solicitor General Mithun Mansinghani and Assistant Solicitors General Zach West and Bryan Cleveland; for Georgia, Solicitor General Andrew A. Pinson and Assistant Attorney General Kurtis G. Anderson; and for Arizona, Solicitor General O.H. Skinner and Deputy Solicitor General Andrew G. Pappas.
Virginia: Amicus Brief of Virginia et al. in Trump v. Vance, No. 19-635. The authors were Solicitor General Toby J. Heytens, Deputy Solicitors General Martine E. Cicconi and Michelle S. Kallen, Assistant Solicitor General Jessica Merry Samuels, John Marshall Fellow Zachary R. Glubiak, and Deputy Attorney General Victoria N. Pearson.
Washington: Washington’s Brief for Respondent in Chiafalo v. Washington, No. 19-465. The authors were Solicitor General Noah G. Purcell, Deputy Solicitors General Tera Heintz and Alan D. Copsey, and Assistant Attorney General Cristina Sepe.
“Appellate practitioners have a deep impact on state attorney general efforts to protect citizens from wrongdoing and defend state laws and officers,” said Dan Schweitzer, chief counsel of the NAAG Center for Supreme Court Advocacy. “The Best Brief Awards recognize that appellate brief writing is a specialized skill. Congratulations to the winners for their commendable accomplishments.”
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