Illinois Solicitor General Michael A. Scodro Joins Jenner & Block's Chicago Office

CHICAGO, Jan. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Jenner & Block LLP is pleased to announce that Illinois Solicitor General Michael A. Scodro will be joining the firm as a partner in the Appellate and Supreme Court Practice in its Chicago office, effective Monday, January 27.   

As the Illinois Solicitor General for the past 6½ years, Michael oversaw the civil and criminal appeals divisions of the Attorney General's Office and has argued on behalf of the State in the U.S. Supreme Court, Illinois Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and Illinois Appellate Court.  He has supervised more than 40 attorneys in appeals where the state was a party.  He also advised the Illinois Attorney General on constitutional and other significant legal issues.  In this capacity, Michael was a leader in coordinating with other state attorneys general's offices across the country in the preparation and filing of multi-state amicus briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court, bringing Illinois to the forefront among the states in this area of Supreme Court advocacy. 

"Michael's experience in arguing cases before federal and state appellate courts is considerable and further enhances the firm's capabilities in this area," said Susan C. Levy, Jenner & Block's Managing Partner.  "We are eager to have him join us." 

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan called Michael "an exemplary solicitor general." She added: "He excels as a writer and editor and has proven to be an extraordinary oral advocate before the U.S. Supreme Court and other federal and state courts, and he has been a trusted advisor on a range of legal issues.  Mike will be greatly missed in our office."

Michael will leverage his significant appellate litigation experience to further build Jenner's presence as a destination for appellate representation.  The firm is confident that he will easily become the trusted advisor to clients, both individuals and businesses alike.

"Michael is a great addition to our team," said Craig C. Martin, Co-Chair of the firm's Litigation Department.  "He is a highly successful and well-respected practitioner who has argued in front of the U.S. Supreme Court as recently as the end of 2013.  There is no doubt that he will further solidify our capacity to deliver what the firm is known for:  first-rate litigation service." 

"Michael is a prolific speaker and media resource on issues surrounding appellate advocacy and the Supreme Court," said David J. Bradford, Co-Chair of the Litigation Department.  "His service as state solicitor general gives him invaluable perspective, experience and credibility in all courts of review."

Paul M. Smith, Chair of the firm's Appellate and Supreme Court Practice, seconded the sentiment, saying, "Michael's sterling record and experience will benefit the firm's Appellate Practice not just in Chicago, but also nationwide."

In November 2013, Michael was named the first Appellate Lawyer-in-Residence at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law's Institute on the Supreme Court of the United States (ISCOTUS).  During the winter 2014 semester of his residency, Michael will discuss oral and written advocacy with first-year students and conduct a discussion on oral advocacy with Moot Court Honor Society students.

Michael joined the Illinois Attorney General's Office as Deputy Solicitor General in 2006 before being promoted to Solicitor General in 2007.  Previously, he was an associate at two other law firms and an Assistant Professor of Law at Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Michael earned his J.D. from Yale Law School in 1996 and graduated summa cum laude from Dartmouth College in Government and Economics in 1993.  He was Executive Editor of the Yale Law Journal and went on to serve as a law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and for the Hon. Jose Cabranes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.  He is a Lecturer in Law at the University of Chicago Law School, teaching a seminar on U.S. Supreme Court practice; an elected member of the prestigious American Law Institute; and secretary of the Appellate Lawyers Association.  He was a member of the Special Supreme Court Committee on Illinois Evidence that developed the state's first code of evidence.  Michael has received the Supreme Court Best Brief Award four times from the National Association of Attorneys General and was honored in 2010 as one of the "40 Illinois Attorneys Under Forty to Watch" by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company.

"Jenner & Block's reputation for its appellate work across the country is unsurpassed," Michael said.  "I am honored to join this group."

About Jenner & Block's Appellate and Supreme Court Practice
Jenner & Block attorneys are well versed in the intricacies of the appeals process and know how to navigate cases effectively through the courts—no matter where they occur in the United States.  The firm's attorneys have successfully argued nearly 100 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as numerous matters before the federal and state appellate courts, on a range of issues, including administrative, antitrust, bankruptcy, civil rights, communications, constitutional, copyright, employment, financial services, government contracts, immigration, patent, preemption and punitive damages.  In 2013, for the fifth consecutive year, Jenner & Block was named to The National Law Journal's "Appellate Hot List" in recognition of our  "precedent-setting victories" and "impressive track record overall." 

About Jenner & Block
Jenner & Block (www.jenner.com) is a national law firm with approximately 480 attorneys and offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C.  Celebrating its 100^th anniversary in 2014, the firm is known for its prominent and successful litigation practice and experience handling sophisticated and high-profile corporate transactions.  Firm clients include Fortune 100 companies, large privately held corporations, financial services institutions, emerging companies and venture capital and private equity investors.  In 2013, The American Lawyer magazine named Jenner & Block to the AmLaw A-List recognizing the top 20 law firms in the country, for the second consecutive year and the fifth time overall since the ranking was established a decade ago.  The firm also has been named by American Lawyer as the nation's leading pro bono firm in four of the past six years.

SOURCE Jenner & Block LLP