Lisa Blatt
Born	Lisa Carol Schiavo 1964 or 1965 (age 58–59) San Angelo, Texas, U.S.
Education	University of Texas at Austin ( BA, JD)
Spouse	David Blatt ​ ( m. 1995)​
Blatt's voice Blatt's opening statement to the Supreme Court in Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. v. Goldsmith Recorded October 12, 2022

Lisa Schiavo Blatt (born 1964/1965) ^[1] is an American lawyer who serves as partner and chair of the Supreme Court and Appellate practice at the law firm Williams & Connolly. As of April 28, 2024, she has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court 50 times ^[2] — the most of any woman in U.S. history. ^[3]

Blatt previously served as an Assistant to the Solicitor General and chaired the Supreme Court and Appellate practice at the law firm Arnold & Porter.

Early life and career

Blatt was born Lisa Carol Schiavo in San Angelo, Texas ^[4] to Dr. Lois Friedman, a psychologist and professor, and Dr. Luigi Schiavo, a software engineer. ^[1] She grew up in Texas in San Angelo and Bryan–College Station. ^[5]

Blatt was inspired by Thurgood Marshall to pursue a career in law and began speech and debate in seventh grade. ^[6] She attended the University of Texas at Austin for college and law school, graduating summa cum laude both times. ^{[7] [8]} After law school, she clerked for then-Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. ^[7] In 1990, Blatt joined the Washington, D.C. law firm Williams & Connolly. ^[9] In 1993, she moved to the General Counsel's Office at the Department of Energy. ^[10] In 1996, she became an Assistant to the U.S. Solicitor General. ^[8] She worked in the Office of the Solicitor General until 2009, when she joined Arnold & Porter. ^[8] She returned to Williams & Connolly in 2019 as chair of the Supreme Court and Appellate Practice. ^{[11] [12]} Blatt is also an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University, teaching classes on constitutional law and the separation of powers. ^{[13] [14]} She was previously a visiting professor at Yale University. ^[15]

Political positions and career

Blatt is a pro-choice Democrat. ^[16] She supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. ^[17] On August 2, 2018, Blatt endorsed then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court, touting him as “the most qualified conservative for the job.” ^[16] Blatt introduced Kavanaugh at his Senate confirmation hearing alongside former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Ohio Senator Rob Portman. ^[17] Maine Senator Susan Collins cited Blatt's remarks in announcing her vote to confirm Kavanaugh. ^[18] Blatt's support for Kavanaugh led progressive activists to lobby President-elect Joe Biden to not nominate Blatt as U.S. Solicitor General. ^[19]

Blatt has criticized the Senate's failure to confirm then-Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. ^[17]

Blatt is a self-identified liberal feminist. ^[16] She has described the legal profession as “overrun with men” whom she has criticized as “obviously clueless that they have no talent.” ^[20] Blatt has advocated for diversifying the pool of lawyers arguing before the Supreme Court, urging that “[t]he numbers won’t change until we act instead of just talk.” ^[21] Since Blatt's return to Williams & Connolly in 2019, Blatt and two of her female partners, Sarah Harris and Amy Saharia, have collectively appeared 15 times before the Supreme Court (as of March 2023). ^{[22] [23] [24]} American Lawyer has called this all-female practice “an anomaly among its peers.” ^[25] Blatt also promoted the first argument since 2003 by one of only two black men in private practice to argue before the Supreme Court, Luke McCloud. ^[26]

She has argued 46 cases before the Supreme Court, winning in 41 cases. ^[2] Law360 has called her approach to litigation "equal parts Sun Tzu and Vince Lombardi." ^[27]

Personal life

Blatt is married to David Blatt, a fellow partner at Williams & Connolly who specializes in commercial litigation. ^[28] Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg officiated their wedding in 1995. ^[7] Blatt's father-in-law, Sidney Blatt, was a noted psychologist at Yale University. ^[29] Lisa and David Blatt have two children, Daniel and Rachel, who both have attended Stanford Law School. ^[6] She is Jewish. ^[6]

Publications

• Lisa S. Blatt, In Front of the Burgundy Curtain, 14 Green Bag 2d (2010)
• Lisa Blatt, I’m a Liberal Feminist Lawyer. Here’s Why Democrats Should Support Judge Kavanaugh, Politico (Aug. 2, 2018)
• Lisa Blatt, Reflections of a Lady Lawyer, Women & the Law 59 (2020)

References

External links

• Lisa Blatt's biography at the Williams & Connolly website
• Appearances at the U.S. Supreme Court from the Oyez Project
• Appearances on C-SPAN