Band 3
Provided by Morgan L Ratner
Litigation; Supreme Court and Appellate
Morgan Ratner is a partner in Sullivan & Cromwell’s Litigation Group and is a member of the Firm’s Supreme Court and Appellate Practice. She has argued nine cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Prior to joining the Firm, Ms. Ratner served in the Office of the Solicitor General at the U.S. Department of Justice. During her tenure there, she argued Supreme Court cases involving areas of federal law such as securities regulation, bankruptcy, employment, intellectual property, criminal law, and elections law. While at the Solicitor General’s Office, Ms. Ratner also filed over 150 Supreme Court briefs at the merits and certiorari stages. She received a John Marshall Award, the Department of Justice’s highest award offered to attorneys, for exceptional service to the Office of the Solicitor General and the Department of Justice. In private practice, Ms. Ratner regularly briefs and argues appeals and dispositive motions; provides strategic guidance for trial and administrative proceedings; and counsels clients confronting high-stakes legal issues. The U.S. Supreme Court recently appointed her as amicus curiae to defend the Eighth Circuit’s judgment in Jones v. Hendrix, a habeas corpus case that she argued during the October 2022 Term. According to a Bloomberg analysis, Morgan is just the ninth woman of at least 69 such appointments the Court has made since 1926.
Ms. Ratner is a member of the Edward Coke Appellate Inn of Court and is a volunteer with Street Law, Inc.
Harvard Law School, J.D., (2012); University of Maryland, B.A., (2009); After graduating Harvard Law School—where she was awarded the Fay Diploma as the top student in her class—Ms. Ratner clerked for Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. of the U.S. Supreme Court and then-Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
Provided by Chambers
Morgan Ratner has quickly established an impressive reputation for her abilities in appellate litigation. Her wide-ranging practice sees her handling appeals involving securities, criminal law and bankruptcy, among other areas.
Provided by Chambers
"Morgan is among the most talented advocates I know. She is good on her feet, is super smart and a delightful colleague to work with."
"She is thoughtful, strategic and, best of all, persuasive. She has an ability to home in on the key points of a case and explain them in a very convincing way."
"She is just consistently spectacular in oral argument. She combines tremendous brain power and intellectual firepower, coupled with a fantastic style of advocacy."
"For an intellectual titan, which Morgan undoubtedly is, she is remarkably down to earth. She has the ability to provide exceptional advice in layman's language in quick time."
"Morgan is among the most talented advocates I know. She is good on her feet, is super smart and a delightful colleague to work with."
"She is thoughtful, strategic and, best of all, persuasive. She has an ability to home in on the key points of a case and explain them in a very convincing way."
"She is just consistently spectacular in oral argument. She combines tremendous brain power and intellectual firepower, coupled with a fantastic style of advocacy."
"For an intellectual titan, which Morgan undoubtedly is, she is remarkably down to earth. She has the ability to provide exceptional advice in layman's language in quick time."
