Orrick Appellate Associate Discusses Supreme Court Debut in U.S. v Davila

Bloomberg
April.17.2013

​This article, about Supreme Court and appellate senior associate Robert Yablon arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court in United States v. Davila, quotes Robert and Supreme Court and Appellate Practice Group Leader Joshua Rosenkranz.

"This case is about the process of plea-bargaining, and that is the way the vast majority of cases in the criminal justice system get resolved," Yablon said in an interview with Bloomberg. "There are not that many Supreme Court cases addressing plea bargaining, so this gives the Supreme Court the opportunity to give guidance on the subject."

Yablon has worked on the case since it came in the door at Orrick and was involved in strategy from the beginning, Rosenkranz said.

Being a two-time Supreme Court clerk "takes the edge off the nerves," Yablon said, although the experience didn't diminish his preparation. He spent hours intensively reviewing briefs and materials and in practice moot courts with Rosenkranz and others at the firm.

Yablon said he was grateful to Rosenkranz for the opportunity to argue his first case and called it "a good illustration of an ethos we have in our practice."