Employer: Covington & Burling Title and Practice Area: Partner, Appellate Litigation and International Arbitration

Describe your biggest win or accomplishment in practice.  I'm proud of many victories in my appellate practice, but the win that stands out the most came at the International Court of Justice. I had the honor of arguing for Ukraine and won a landmark ruling that the court had jurisdiction over Russia's conduct in Ukraine, including Crimea.

What was the most valuable lesson you learned in your first year practicing law?  An important lesson I learned early on is the importance of taking ownership of your work. A brief you're drafting might get reviewed by many, but prepare your draft as if what you've written could be filed—polished, well-written, and having thought through and resolved the hardest problems.

Who is your greatest lawyer mentor and what has he or she taught you?  Covington's Bob Long has taught me so much about effective appellate and Supreme Court advocacy, while being incredibly kind and generous. I've learned from him how some of the best advocacy comes from being careful, thoughtful, and judicious, taking the other side's arguments seriously and not reaching for over-the-top rhetoric.

Please share a brief key to your success. I try to think from the perspective of the judge or anyone I'm trying to persuade. Why should they want my client's position to prevail? What consequences or implications would they worry about? Will a turn-of-phrase in my brief draw attention to a key point or just distract?