Marc Elias, left, and Eric Wolff, right, with Perkins Coie.

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.

This was the second time we were before [the U.S. Supreme Court] arguing this case, now Virginia House of Delegates v. Bethune-Hill (we had a previous victory in 2017), and the second time SCOTUS ruled in our favor—that the House of Delegates redistricting map included unconstitutional racial gerrymanders in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. The same team has been working on this matter for more than five years—from brief writing to oral argument preparation. Their commitment and vision throughout the entire process has been steadfast and focused on putting law in place that fully protects minority voters.

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

With Eric Miller moving on to the Ninth Circuit, we took stock of our strengths and weaknesses and focused on collaboration within the firm, development, and opportunities to best deploy our talent.

What is the most satisfying element of appellate practice in your opinion?

Good writing is a "flow" experience for me and the best. Working with good junior colleagues is a close second.

What's the most valuable lesson you learned as a young lawyer?

Be a conversational, helpful legal writer to your reader—getting to the point, word/phrase choices, road-mapping, formatting, graphics, i.e., the total package.Take care of yourself physically, mentally, spiritually. If you don't know how, find someone who does.

Submitted by Marc Elias, firmwide political law chair, and Eric Wolff, firmwide appellate chair at Perkins Coie.