Overview
Whitney Brown rejoined the Firm after serving as a law clerk to Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor of the U.S. Supreme Court. Whitney represents clients in complex litigation matters in both state and federal courts. Her practice spans a wide range of substantive areas, from contract interpretation and administrative law to novel questions of constitutional law and statutory interpretation. She maintains an active pro bono practice focused on civil rights and nonprofit governance.
Whitney brings to Stoel Rives a rich experience in appellate law garnered through four clerkships on federal and state courts of appeals. Prior to clerking for Justice Sotomayor, Whitney served as a law clerk to the Honorable Guido Calabresi of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the Honorable Goodwin H. Liu of the Supreme Court of California, and the Honorable Morgan Christen of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
At UCLA Law School, Whitney distinguished herself as the editor-in-chief of the UCLA Law Review, co-president of the Health Law Society, and a writing advisor for first-year law students. She helped draft a merits brief that prevailed at the U.S. Supreme Court in Nelson v. Colorado, 581 U.S. 128 (2017), as part of her law school’s Supreme Court Clinic. Her student note, which explored sex discrimination in commercial contracting, received a nationwide award.
Whitney’s career before law school focused on health and education policy. She served as a legislative assistant in health policy in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, and as a charter school evaluator in Chicago.
Education
UCLA School of Law, J.D., 2017; Order of the Coif; Michael T. Masin Scholar; Editor-in-Chief, UCLA Law Review; Dean’s Scholarship
Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, M.P.H. and Graduate Certificate in Human Rights, 2011; study abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark
University of Chicago, A.B., Anthropology, 2007, with honors; study abroad in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Admissions
Alaska
California
United States District Court for the District of Alaska
United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
United States Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Ninth Circuits
Recognition
- Listed in the Alaska Business Legal Elite, 2023–2024