Seth P. Waxman

Seth P. Waxman is widely regarded as one of the nation’s foremost appellate and Supreme Court litigators. A partner at WilmerHale and co-chair of both the Appellate and Supreme Court Litigation Practice and the Native American Law Practice, he represents clients in complex regulatory, commercial, criminal, and intellectual property matters with exceptional advocacy.

Mr. Waxman earned his law degree from Yale Law School, where he served as managing editor of the Yale Law Journal. After graduating summa cum laude from Harvard University, he laid the foundation for a distinguished career that spanned both public service and private practice. Following his clerkship with Judge Gerhard A. Gesell, he rose through the U.S. Department of Justice to become Solicitor General from 1997 to 2001.

Mr. Waxman has argued more than 85 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, shaping constitutional and public policy issues. His victories include landmark rulings in Boumediene v. Bush and Roper v. Simmons. His practice extends across federal and state courts, representing corporations, universities, governments, and tribal nations in matters ranging from intellectual property disputes to constitutional litigation.

Beyond his courtroom advocacy, Seth P. Waxman contributes to the legal community as a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has earned numerous honors, including The American Lawyer’s Litigator of the Year and Best Lawyers’ Lawyer of the Year in multiple categories. His reputation as both a trial litigator and appellate strategist continues to influence complex litigation nationwide.

Law Office Affiliations

• Partner, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP
• Member, District of Columbia Bar Association
• Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
• Member, American Academy of Appellate Lawyers
• Fellow, American Bar Foundation
• Member, American Law Institute
• Member, Supreme Court Institute
• Member, Supreme Court Historical Society
• Acting Deputy Attorney General, Office of the Deputy Attorney General, Department of Justice
• Solicitor General of the US, Office of the Solicitor General, Department of Justice
• Acting Solicitor General, Office of the Solicitor General, Department of Justice
• Principal Deputy Solicitor General, Office of the Solicitor General, Department of Justice

Licensed State

• District of Columbia

Education

• Yale Law School
  Juris Doctorate (JD)
• Harvard University
  AB with Summa Cum Laude

Awards & Badges