22nd December 2024

Why Americans, including Obama, are in awe of Indian-American attorney Neal Katyal

by | Jul 1, 2023 | Indian-American

Reading Time: 2 minutes

An Indian-American attorney is being hailed as a “national hero” and “true patriot” in the US after he successfully argued a case before the US Supreme Court against a legal theory being promoted by conservatives, especially those who support former US President Donald Trump. The US-born attorney, named Neal Katyal, was representing the watchdog group ‘Common Cause’ and won the judgement 6-3, with support from three liberal and three conservative judges.

 

Such was the significance of the case that one legal expert labelled it as the most important constitutional case in US history, while it helped the attorney earn rare praise from former Democratic president Barack Obama himself.

 

What was the legal case?
The case, Moore v. Harper, was about overhauling the US election system altogether while giving state legislature primacy over courts to set election rules.
Had conservatives won the case, state legislatures would have become immune to interventions by courts on state election rules. However, the theory was rebuffed by six Supreme Court judges, maintaining that the power of state legislature was restrained by federal and state courts.

America’s top legal and constitutional experts heaved a sigh of relief as the judgement came, with Obama himself tweeting on the issue. “Today, the Supreme Court rejected the fringe independent state legislature theory that threatened to upend our democracy and dismantle our system of checks and balances. This ruling rejects the far-right theory that threatened to undermine our democracy, and makes clear that courts can continue defending voters’ rights—in North Carolina and in every state,” Obama wrote in his tweet.

‘Single most important constitutional case for American democracy’

The case was hailed as the “Single most important constitutional case for American democracy” by Judge Luttig, a distinguished jurist who was also associated with the fight. He also lauded Katyal for being “masterful” while arguing the case before the court. He said Katyal made “the single best oral argument I have ever heard made before the Supreme Court of the United States.”

Who is Neal Katyal?
Neal Katyal is the son of Indian immigrants, and his mother is a paediatrician while his father is an engineer. He attended Dartmouth College and pursued his law degree at Yale, where he had the opportunity to learn from Akhil Amar, a renowned Indian-origin constitutional scholar in the United States.

 

Presently, Katyal holds a position as a partner at the prestigious law firm Hogan Lovells. Additionally, he serves as a professor of National Security Law at Georgetown University Law Center, where he holds the distinction of being one of the youngest professors to have achieved tenure and a chaired professorship in the university’s history.

Like this story? Or have something to share?

Write to us: contact@hindhimalayausa.com

Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter

0 Comments

You May Also Like

16 Indian American middle schoolers in STEM challenge finals

16 Indian American middle schoolers in STEM challenge finals

A total of 16 Indian American youngsters are among 30 finalists in the inaugural Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (Thermo Fisher JIC), the nation’s premier middle school science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) competition. The 30...

India-US Space Cooperation Gets a New Fillip

India-US Space Cooperation Gets a New Fillip

From September 7-10, U.S. President Joe Biden was in New Delhi to attend the G-20 Summit hosted by India. Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met for a bilateral discussion as soon as the U.S. president landed, highlighting their “close and enduring...

“If China Wants To Be A Spoiler…”: US Ahead Of G20 Summit

“If China Wants To Be A Spoiler…”: US Ahead Of G20 Summit

It is for China to decide what role it plays at the G20 Summit in New Delhi, a top US official has said, asserting that if Beijing wants to come in and be a "spoiler", that option is available to it. US National Security Advisor Sullivan was responding to a question...

16 Indian American middle schoolers in STEM challenge finals

16 Indian American middle schoolers in STEM challenge finals

A total of 16 Indian American youngsters are among 30 finalists in the inaugural Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (Thermo Fisher JIC), the nation’s premier middle school science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) competition. The 30...

India-US Space Cooperation Gets a New Fillip

India-US Space Cooperation Gets a New Fillip

From September 7-10, U.S. President Joe Biden was in New Delhi to attend the G-20 Summit hosted by India. Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met for a bilateral discussion as soon as the U.S. president landed, highlighting their “close and enduring...

“If China Wants To Be A Spoiler…”: US Ahead Of G20 Summit

“If China Wants To Be A Spoiler…”: US Ahead Of G20 Summit

It is for China to decide what role it plays at the G20 Summit in New Delhi, a top US official has said, asserting that if Beijing wants to come in and be a "spoiler", that option is available to it. US National Security Advisor Sullivan was responding to a question...