Employer: Jenner & Block
Title and Practice Area: Partner, Government Controversies and Public Policy Litigation

What was the most valuable lesson you learned in your first year practicing law? My first job as a lawyer was in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs when we were working to pass the Affordable Care Act. It felt like the ACA lived and died 100 times. I learned that persistence and creative problem solving are critical to major breakthroughs.

Describe your biggest win or accomplishment in practice. US v. Windsor, [the U.S. Supreme Court decision over same-sex marriage], although this was a team victory. That case's ripple effect changed the course of many American's lives and was personally meaningful for me as well.

Who is your greatest lawyer mentor and what has he or she taught you? Phil Schiliro [is] a consummate Washington lawyer [who never] practiced traditional law. He taught me that there is no crisis in Washington in which you can't pause to think through all the options for a response.

Please share a brief key to your success. Attention to details. The difference between good and great is understanding that the need for speed is never an excuse for sloppiness. I learned as a law school research assistant to [civil procedure professor] Arthur Miller that missing the tree for the forest can be the downfall of an otherwise brilliant legal strategy.