Thinking about becoming an appellate attorney?

Kannon Shanmugam, a partner in the Washington DC firm Williams & Connolly, was interviewed by Harvard Law Bulletin reporter Lana Birbrair about his clerkship with Justice Antonin Scalia, his years aft he U.S. solicitor general's office, and his current appellate advocacy practice, including 16 arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court. He was only 31 at the time of his first argument before SCOTUS. What does it take to be a good appellate lawyer?

Shanmugam also talks about how writing briefs defers from oral argument.

If you're looking at shifting into a federal appellate practice and wondering what it takes to succeed, check out the rest of Shanmugam's interview.