Former Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar Returns to Cooley

Washington, DC – August 25, 2025 – Today, Cooley announced that Elizabeth Prelogar has rejoined the firm as a partner in its global litigation department. Prelogar was the 48th Solicitor General of the United States and will lead Cooley’s Supreme Court and appellate practice group from Washington, DC.

“Elizabeth is one of the most respected lawyers and oral advocates in the country,” said Cooley partner and CEO Rachel Proffitt. “Her experience advising the federal government on the most significant legal issues of our time and defending the interests of the United States before the US Supreme Court will be invaluable for our many innovative and disruptive clients. We are thrilled to welcome her home.”

In her role as Solicitor General, Prelogar oversaw all of the US government’s litigation in the Supreme Court, where she personally argued dozens of cases, managed the Department of Justice’s appellate strategy in courts throughout the nation and served as a principal legal advisor to the executive branch.

“In addition to being one of the best lawyers of her generation, Elizabeth is a great person and reflects all the values we seek in our partnership – hardworking, decent and committed to succeeding together,” said Ian Shapiro, Cooley partner and chair of the firm’s global litigation department. “When Elizabeth first joined us in January 2020, she embraced our ambition to be one of the country’s elite litigation practices. Her return establishes Cooley’s Supreme Court and appellate group as one of the industry’s premier practices.”

Before Prelogar’s service as Solicitor General from 2021 to 2025, she was a partner at Cooley from 2020 to 2021 and an Assistant to the Solicitor General from 2014 to 2019. Earlier in her career, Prelogar clerked for Chief Judge Merrick Garland of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, as well as for Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan.

“Cooley’s platform was exactly what I was looking for in my return to private practice: a firm with brilliant and creative lawyers, innovative clients, a reputation as a litigation powerhouse, a strong culture, and a steadfast commitment to clients and the rule of law,” said Prelogar. “I am proud to rejoin a team that lives those values and excited to build a standout Supreme Court and appellate practice that will help clients navigate their most complex and high-stakes legal issues.”

During Prelogar’s service as Solicitor General, Cooley’s Supreme Court and appellate practice was led by Kathleen Hartnett and Adam Gershenson, who will continue to collaborate with Prelogar and the rest of the appellate team. The practice also recently welcomed several next-generation appellate advocates, including Ephraim McDowell and Ray Tolentino. McDowell was a former Assistant to the Solicitor General under Prelogar and served as Deputy Associate Counsel in the White House Counsel’s Office. Tolentino was a Special Assistant to the President and Associate White House Counsel to the President, as well as Special Counsel to the US Senate Committee on the Judiciary. McDowell and Tolentino clerked for Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor, respectively.

Cooley’s litigation department includes 460 lawyers in the US and Europe and is the top litigation department for the representation of tech, life sciences and other innovative companies.

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