Michael R. Huston
- Firmwide Co-Chair, Appeals, Issues & Strategy Practice
- Washington, D.C.
- Phoenix
Michael is the firmwide co-chair of Perkins Coie's Appeals, Issues & Strategy practice. He has been ranked as one of the nation's leading appellate lawyers.
Clients seek Michael Huston's counsel in high-stakes litigation matters, especially complex appeals and matters involving administrative law. Michael has briefed, argued, and won cases in the Supreme Court of the United States and in federal and state appellate courts around the country, achieving multiple precedent-setting victories. He regularly assists clients in sensitive, bet-the-company matters.
As a former Assistant to the Solicitor General at the U.S. Department of Justice, Michael represented the federal government before the Supreme Court of the United States. He has personally argued nine cases before the Supreme Court and briefed hundreds more. The overwhelming majority of Michael's cases resulted in a successful disposition. He was the principal drafter of seven successful writ of certiorari petitions, and he has prepared dozens of successful merits-stage, amicus curiae, and emergency-docket briefs.
Prior to his position at the DOJ, Michael worked at another leading law firm in Washington, D.C. handling high-stakes appellate matters in federal and state courts. He is a former law clerk to the Chief Justice of the United States, John G. Roberts, and to Judge Raymond M. Kethledge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Michael graduated first in his class from the University of Michigan Law School and with Honors from the University of Arizona.
Michael actively volunteers with Scouting America, which honored him in 2022 with the National Outstanding Eagle Scout Award.
Areas of focus
Education & Credentials
Education
- University of Michigan Law School, J.D., magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, Michigan Law Review, 2011
- The University of Arizona, B.A., Political Science and Philosophy, summa cum laude, 2007
Bar and Court Admissions
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District of Columbia
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Arizona
- Supreme Court of the United States
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- U.S. Court of International Trade
Related Employment
- Office of the Solicitor General, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., Assistant to the Solicitor General, 2017-2022
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Washington, D.C., Associate, 2014-2017, 2012-2013
- U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, Judicial Extern for the Hon. David G. Campbell, 2009
Clerkships
- Hon. John G. Roberts, Jr., Chief Justice of the United States
- Hon. Raymond M. Kethledge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
Professional Recognition
Ranked in Chambers USA for Nationwide Appellate Practice, 2024
Listed in Best Lawyers in America: Appellate Practice, 2024-2025
Recognized by Lawdragon 500 X - The Next Generation, for Appellate Litigation, 2024
Impact
Professional Leadership
- Edward Coke Appellate Inn of Court
- Federalist Society, Former Executive Committee Member
- John Carroll Society, Former Board of Governors Member
Community Involvement
- Boy Scouts of America
Insights
