Preeta Bansal becomes New York Solicitor General and becomes first Indian American to argue a case in the US Supreme Court
In 1999, Preeta D. Bansal was appointed Solicitor General of New York, becoming one of the first Indian American women to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of a state government. As the state’s chief appellate lawyer, she argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of New York and oversaw litigation on […]
Akhil Reed Amar Reshapes Constitutional Law Scholarship
Akhil Reed Amar’s constitutional scholarship crossed from the seminar room into the text of Supreme Court opinions, cited by justices across the ideological spectrum. His historical and structural analyses reshaped how American courts approach constitutional interpretation, making structural reasoning and constitutional history central to modern legal discourse. By grounding legal argument in the founding document’s […]
Chakrabarty Case Establishes Biotech Patent Law
After General Electric researcher Anand Chakrabarty engineered a bacterium capable of breaking down crude oil, the resulting Supreme Court case, Diamond v. Chakrabarty (1980), ruled that genetically modified living organisms could be patented under American law. The landmark decision established the legal foundation for the modern biotechnology industry by allowing inventors and companies to secure […]
Ved Nanda Advances International Human Rights Law
In 1984, Professor Ved Nanda helped shape one of the world’s most important human rights treaties as one of twelve international experts selected to contribute to the drafting of the United Nations Convention Against Torture (UNCAT). For nearly six decades at the University of Denver, he also transformed international legal education by founding its International […]
Aruna Masih
Aruna Masih is an American jurist and former labor and civil rights attorney. In 2023, she became the first Indian American, South Asian American, and Punjabi justice on the Oregon Supreme Court. Before joining the bench, she spent more than two decades representing employees, labor unions, and public sector clients in complex labor and pension […]
Manish Bapna
Manish Bapna is an American environmental leader and Chief Executive Officer of the Natural Resources Defense Council. Under his leadership, the organization has pursued landmark environmental litigation, including NRDC v. DeJoy, which helped reverse plans for a 165,000-vehicle gas-powered U.S. Postal Service fleet in favor of electric vehicles. He has also led the NRDC’s legal […]
Preet Bharara
Preet Bharara is an American lawyer and former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. From 2009 to 2017, he led one of the nation’s most influential federal prosecutors’ offices, securing more than 80 insider trading convictions while prosecuting terrorism, cybercrime, and public corruption. Dubbed the “Sheriff of Wall Street” and featured on […]
Diane Gujarati
Diane Gujarati is an American jurist and former federal prosecutor. She serves as a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of New York after previously serving as a magistrate judge in the Southern District of New York. Her career spans federal prosecution, private practice, and the federal judiciary.
Arun Subramanian
Arun Subramanian is an American jurist. He became the first South Asian American appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Before joining the bench, he built a distinguished appellate practice and argued numerous cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. His appointment marked another milestone in the growing presence of […]
Anuraag Singhal
Anuraag Singhal is an American jurist. He became the first Asian Pacific American appointed to an Article III judgeship in Florida. He serves on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, where he hears a broad range of federal civil and criminal matters. His appointment expanded South Asian representation within the federal […]