Who is Neal Katyal? Indian-American lawyer in spotlight amid US SC’s ruling on Trump’s tariffs | World News

US tariffs: The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday struck down most of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, ruling that Trump does not have the authority under a 1977 emergency law to impose broad import duties on America’s trading partners around the world. Following the decision, Neal Katyal’s name emerged as the face of the landmark decision.

Also Read- Is Trump ‘making too much noise about nothing’? From 50% to a flat 10% — How does the court decision change US trade strategy?

Who is Neal Katyal?

According to IANS, Neal Katyal is the former Deputy Attorney General of the United States. In particular, he objected to Trump’s use of the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose what he called “unfair, unconstitutional tariffs” on imports from nearly every trading partner.

Katyal was born in Chicago to Indian immigrant parents, the child of a doctor and an engineer. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Yale Law School. He clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.

Appointed Deputy Attorney General by former President Barack Obama in 2010, Katyal represented the federal government before the apex court and Courts of Appeals across the country.

Katyal is currently a partner at Milbank LLP and Paul Saunders Professor at Georgetown University Law Center, IANS reported. He also specializes in constitutional and complex appellate cases.

Moreover, he has built a career around high-stakes constitutional challenges. He set records for minority advocates by arguing more than 50 cases before the Supreme Court.

His past cases include defending the constitutionality of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, challenging Trump’s 2017 travel ban, and winning unanimous decisions in major environmental and national security disputes.

Katyal also served as the Special Prosecutor for the State of Minnesota in the George Floyd murder case and is the author of Impeach: The Case Against Donald Trump.

He received the Edmund Randolph Award, the U.S. Department of Justice’s highest civilian honor, and was named Litigator of the Year by The American Lawyer in 2017 and 2023.

What did Neal Katyal say after the SC decision?

The lawsuit was reportedly filed by small businesses and supported by the Freedom Justice Center. On the other hand, US President Trump argued that tariffs are vital for national security and economic leverage, citing trade deficits and fentanyl overdoses as national emergencies.

Following the decision, Katyal said, “Today, the Supreme Court of the United States defended the rule of law and Americans everywhere. Its message was simple: Presidents are powerful, but our Constitution is still stronger. In America, only Congress can impose taxes on the American people.”

“The U.S. Supreme Court gave us everything we wanted in our legal case. Everything,” he said.

“This case has always been about the presidency, not any particular president. This case has always been about the separation of powers, not the politics of the day. I am pleased to see our Supreme Court, which has been the cornerstone of our government for 250 years, uphold our most fundamental values.”

“Think of it this way. The son of immigrants was able to go to court and say on behalf of American small businesses, hey, this president is acting illegally. So I was able to present my case, get them to ask me really tough questions. It was a really intense verbal argument. And in the end they voted and we won,” he told MS Now in an interview, according to IANS.

“This is a very unusual thing for this country; the idea that we have a self-correcting system that allows us to say that you can be the most powerful man in the world and still not violate the Constitution. I mean, to me, that’s what today is about,” he elaborated.

Katyal called the Supreme Court decision on tariffs a constitutional turning point.

(With inputs from IANS)