Tell us about your top U.S. Supreme Court or federal appeals court victory over the past year and how you and your team achieved the win.

Our most important victory over the past year was in Archdiocese of Washington D.C. v. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority in the D.C. Circuit. It is a high profile matter that pitted the Archdiocese's claim of a First Amendment right to run a religious advertisement on WMATA's buses against WMATA's effort to defend its policy of refusing advertisements that either promote or attack religion. We successfully defended that policy in the face of very strong advocacy from the Archdiocese by focusing on the strict neutrality of the transit authority's policy, bars advertisements attacking religious faiths (including Catholics and Muslims, who had been the subject of attack ads in the past) as well as those promoting religion, and its purpose of avoiding rancor and divisiveness.

How did your firm approach appellate success over the past year?

We are focused relentlessly on talent and integrity. The firm has added lawyers from the SG's office and are recruiting the best young lawyers. We are committed to excellence in lawyering, adherence to the norms and obligations of the profession, and mutual respect as colleagues.

What practice advice would you give your younger self?

The practice advice I would give my younger self is to focus on what's right and true, not what's clever and shrewd. That is the best way to be effective, and to earn the respect of the profession.

Responses submitted by Don Verrilli, a partner at Munger, Tolles & Olson.