Zach Schauf, Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the US Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel
Zach Schauf was recently appointed Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the US Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel. A former partner in Jenner & Block’s Appellate and Supreme Court Practice, Zach has briefed and argued cases in appellate courts throughout the country and before the U.S. Supreme Court.
He argued Oklahoma v Castro-Huerta in 2022 and led the briefing in McGirt v Oklahoma, the US Supreme Court’s landmark decision affirming the Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s reservation in eastern Oklahoma. He also co-authored winning Supreme Court briefs in several other cases, including Kokesh v SEC, Honeycutt v. United States, and Harris v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, and he has played a lead role in the firm’s defense of the Indian Child Welfare Act in Haaland v. Brackeen, which was argued in November.
He also was the lead litigator in North Carolina League of Conservation Voters v Hall, in which a Jenner team helped secure free and fair election maps and persuaded the North Carolina Supreme Court to invalidate the state legislature’s maps as unconstitutional partisan gerrymanders. This case, now combined with two others as Moore v Harper, is currently before the Supreme Court.
What is your current position and how did Jenner prepare you for your new role?
I am a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the US Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC). By delegation from the Attorney General, the Office provides legal advice to the President and all executive branch agencies, often on legal issues of particular complexity and importance or where two or more agencies disagree. I couldn't have asked for better preparation than the nine years I spent at Jenner, where I got to work on the most difficult issues our clients faced alongside an extraordinary group of colleagues, mentors, and friends.
Looking back, what have you come to appreciate about Jenner?
At Jenner, I had amazing mentors who pushed me forward and promoted me, when they didn't need to. Lindsay Harrison pressed for me to get my first oral argument—before I was even a lawyer. Ian Gershengorn opened the path that got me my first Supreme Court argument (after another close call thanks to Adam Unikowsky's generosity). Sam Hirsch and Jessie Amunson prodded me to take a bigger role and more public credit in their redistricting litigation, when the credit fairly belonged to them. And partners like Dave DeBruin, Matt Hellman, Matt Price, and many others were a constant source of inspiration and support. I'd say I was lucky—but it's very much in the DNA of the firm. During my time at the Jenner, I did my best to pay forward the support I received. The thing that drew me to Jenner originally was just as true when I left: It is an extraordinary place filled by extraordinary lawyers and staff who are so committed to their clients, the firm's values, and their colleagues.
How are you staying in touch with your former Jenner colleagues?
I remain close by Jenner DC; I've had the chance to catch up with many former colleagues over lunch or coffee, and I'd love to catch up with many more.
Return to the Alumni Newsletter — June 2023
Alumni Newsletter — June 2023
Zach Schauf, Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the US Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel
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