2011 US News Best Law Firms
  • Print
  • Email
  • Contact Us
  • Printable Profile

Contact

P: 205.521.8803
F: 205.488.6803
Secretary:
P: 205.521.8687

Services

Kevin C. Newsom

Partner

One of four Bradley Arant Boult Cummings lawyers to have clerked at the United States Supreme Court, Kevin is chair of the firm’s Appellate Litigation Group. Before joining the firm, Kevin served for three and a half years as the State of Alabama's Solicitor General, in which capacity he directed the State's appellate litigation in the U.S. Supreme Court, the United States Courts of Appeals, and the Alabama Supreme Court. Kevin has an active U.S. Supreme Court practice, having personally argued four cases in the Court, filed amicus curiae briefs in dozens of others, and authored numerous petitions for certiorari and briefs in opposition to certiorari. Kevin has also argued more than 20 cases in the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second, Third, Fourth, Seventh, Eleventh, and D.C. Circuits, as well as in the Alabama Supreme Court and the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals.

In 2011, Chief Justice John G. Roberts appointed Kevin to the Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules, which studies and advises the Judicial Conference of the United States concerning amendments and improvements to the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure. Kevin is one of only three private practitioners on the 10-person committee.

In 2007, The American Lawyer magazine named Kevin one of its "Fab Fifty"—the top 50 litigators (of any kind) in the entire country under the age of 45—and in 2010, Law360.com named Kevin one of the nation’s top 10 appellate lawyers under the age of 40. Kevin is also listed in Best Lawyers in America in the field of Appellate Law.

One of four Bradley Arant Boult Cummings lawyers to have clerked at the United States Supreme Court, Kevin is chair of the firm’s Appellate Litigation Group. Before joining the firm, Kevin served for three and a half years as the State of Alabama's Solicitor General, in which capacity he directed the State's appellate litigation in the U.S. Supreme Court, the United States Courts of Appeals, and the Alabama Supreme Court. Kevin has an active U.S. Supreme Court practice, having personally argued four cases in the Court, filed amicus curiae briefs in dozens of others, and authored numerous petitions for certiorari and briefs in opposition to certiorari. Kevin has also argued more than 20 cases in the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second, Third, Fourth, Sixth, Seventh, Eleventh, and D.C. Circuits, as well as in the Alabama Supreme Court and the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals.

In 2011, Chief Justice John G. Roberts appointed Kevin to the Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules, which studies and advises the Judicial Conference of the United States concerning amendments and improvements to the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure. Kevin is one of only three private practitioners on the 10-person committee.

In 2007, The American Lawyer magazine named Kevin one of its "Fab Fifty"—the top 50 litigators (of any kind) in the entire country under the age of 45—and in 2010, Law360.com named Kevin one of the nation’s top 10 appellate lawyers under the age of 40. Kevin is also listed in Best Lawyers in America in the field of Appellate Law.

Kevin served as a law clerk to Justice David H. Souter of the U.S. Supreme Court (2000-2001) and, before that, to Judge Diarmuid F. O'Scannlain of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (1997-98). Kevin received a B.A. from Samford University (1994); he graduated summa cum laude, first in his class, and with a 4.00 GPA. Kevin received his J.D. from Harvard Law School (1997); he graduated magna cum laude and was an Articles Editor of the Harvard Law Review.

Kevin is the author of "Setting Incorporationism Straight: A Reinterpretation of the Slaughter-House Cases," published in the Yale Law Journal.

Kevin is a member of the American Law Institute and has commented on legal issues for Fox News Channel, C-SPAN, National Public Radio, Time Magazine, USA Today, The National Law Journal, Forbes Magazine, and ABA Journal.

Experience

Kevin’s appellate practice runs the substantive gamut. He has handled cases involving, among other areas, general commercial law, tort law, environmental law, securities law, election law, civil-rights and constitutional law, admiralty law, telecommunications law, immigration law, and criminal law. Kevin’s practice spans the country, as well. He has argued cases in the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second, Third, Fourth, Seventh, Eleventh, and D.C. Circuits, and the Alabama appellate courts.

Distinctions

  • Best Lawyers in America, Appellate Law (2009, 2010, 2011)
  • American Lawyer Magazine, “Fab Fifty”: America’s Top 50 Litigators Under Age 45 (2007)
  • Law360.com, “Rising Star”: America’s Top 10 Appellate Lawyers Under Age 40 (2010) 
  • Harvard Law School, Traphagen Distinguished Alumni Speaker Series (2005)
  • Federalist Society, Harvard Law School Chapter, Distinguished Alumni Award (2005)
  • National Association of Attorneys General
    • Best Brief Award – 2007 Supreme Court Term (United States v. Williams) 
    • Best Brief Award – 2007 Supreme Court Term (Allen v. Siebert) 
    • Best Brief Award – 2005 Supreme Court Term (Hill v. McDonough) 
    • Best Brief Award – 2004 Supreme Court Term (Gonzales v. Raich)

Memberships and Affiliations

  • American Bar Association, Section of Litigation, Appellate Practice Committee (Chair, Bar Liaison Subcommittee), Council of Appellate Lawyers
  • American Law Institute
  • The Federalist Society, Federalism and Separation of Powers Practice Group (Steering Committee)
  • Birmingham Business Journal, Top 40 Under 40, 2010

You May Not Know

In whatever free time he can muster, Kevin enjoys hanging out with his wife and two sons.