Why is he on our inspiration board?

Neal will often speak at the Aspen Institute and the Ideas Festival, and people who have met him say he's very personable.

He is a distinguished American lawyer and academic, renowned for his expertise in constitutional law and his extensive experience before the U.S. Supreme Court. He's argued 51 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, surpassing the record previously held by Thurgood Marshall for the most cases argued by a minority attorney.

Neal is an incredibly sharp guy and we'd love to have him on Who Got Me Here one day.

Where is he from?


He grew up in Chicago, Illinois.

He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College in 1991 and his Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 1995.

What was his first job after law school?

Neal clerked for Judge Guido Calabresi of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and then for Justice Stephen Breyer of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Big break in life

His significant career milestone was serving as lead counsel in the Supreme Court case Hamdan v. Rumsfeld in 2006, challenging the legality of military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay.

Interests

Burning Man Participant: In 2023, Katyal attended the Burning Man festival. Despite facing challenging conditions due to heavy rainfall and flash flooding, he hiked six miles through the mud to exit the festival, describing the experience as "incredibly harrowing."

Television Cameos: Katyal has made appearances as himself in popular television series, including "House of Cards" and "Billions," showcasing his engagement with contemporary media. Source: Georgetown Law

His network

We don’t presume to have a detailed picture, but when you look the institutions they’ve been a part of, it gives you a window into their network and the types of people they might know.

• Georgetown University Law Center
• Hogan Lovells law firm
• U.S. Department of Justice
• MSNCB
• CNN
• PBS

Talks we love

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