Supreme Court & Appellate Program Advisory Board

The MacArthur Justice Center’s Supreme Court & Appellate Program’s Advisory Board is made up of leaders in Supreme Court and appellate practice who support and frequently partner with MJC attorneys on appeals. Collectively, board members have clerked for three Supreme Court justices, six federal appellate judges, and three district court judges. Board members practice in several of the nation’s top law firms and have substantial and diverse experience litigating complex appeals.

Brad N. Garcia is a Supreme Court and appellate attorney at O’Melveny & Myers LLP. Before that, Mr. Garcia clerked for Justice Elena Kagan of the U.S. Supreme Court, and Judge Thomas B. Griffith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. In addition to representing clients in high-stakes civil appeals, Mr. Garcia has represented individuals and authored amicus briefs in numerous civil rights cases involving prisoners’ religious freedom, children’s educational rights, and voting rights, and has represented individuals in criminal and immigration matters, on issues ranging from the scope of federal post-conviction relief, to the federal Armed Career Criminal Act, to the Sixth Amendment right to counsel.

Ishan K. Bhabha is a Partner in Jenner & Block LLP’s Appellate and Supreme Court practice. Before that, Mr. Bhabha clerked for Justice Anthony Kennedy of the U.S. Supreme Court and Judge Merrick Garland of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Mr. Bhabha also worked in the Criminal Appellate section of the Department of Justice. Mr. Bhabha also has an active pro bono practice in civil rights, criminal, immigration law, which has included arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of a pro bono client to challenge the denial of social security benefits.

Jaime A. Santos is a Partner in Goodwin Proctor LLP’s Appellate Litigation practice where, in addition to her complex commercial work, she has represented criminal defendants, prisoners, and persons facing deportation. Her work has included major constitutional issues, from the First Amendment, to the Eighth Amendment and juvenile sentencing, to the rights of transgendered persons. Prior to joining Goodwin, Ms. Santos clerked for Judge Raymond C. Fisher of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and for Judge George H. King of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

James E. Tysse is a Partner in Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP’s Supreme Court and Appellate practice. Mr. Tysse has served as arguing counsel or the principal author of briefs in dozens of appeals, including the certiorari and merits stages at the U.S. Supreme Court and in state and federal appellate courts. Mr. Tysse has obtained various pro bono victories in the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals, including a successful argument in the Fifth Circuit in defense of an attorney’s fee award from the State of Texas in a civil rights case that led to a donation of nearly $600,000 to charitable causes. Prior to joining Akin Gump, Mr. Tysse clerked for Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and Judge Beverly Martin of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia (now of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit). Mr. Tysse also completed a Supreme Court Fellowship at the U.S. Sentencing Commission, where he helped revise sentencing guidelines to address crack cocaine sentencing disparities.

Lauren M. Weinstein is a Partner at MoloLamken LLP, where she represents clients before the U.S. Supreme Court, the federal courts of appeals, and other federal and state courts. Ms. Weinstein has represented numerous habeas petitioners in appeals before federal circuits, and represented the national and state criminal defense associations as amici curiae before the U.S. Supreme Court in the MJC case Garza v. Idaho. Prior to joining MoloLamken, Ms. Weinstein clerked for Judge M. Margaret McKeown of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and for Judge John G. Koeltl of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.