Charles J. Cooper

Chuck Cooper
United States Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel
In office
1985–1988
PresidentRonald Reagan
DeputySamuel Alito
Preceded byTheodore Olson
Succeeded byDouglas Kmiec
Personal details
Born (1952-03-08) March 8, 1952 (age 72)
Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
EducationUniversity of Alabama (BA, JD)

Charles J. "Chuck" Cooper (born March 8, 1952, in Dayton, Ohio)[1] is an appellate attorney and litigator in Washington, D.C., where he is a founding member and chairman of the law firm Cooper & Kirk, PLLC. He was named by The National Law Journal as one of the 10 best civil litigators in Washington.[2][3] The New York Times described him as "one of Washington’s best-known lawyers."[4] He has represented prominent American political figures, including Attorney General Jeff Sessions, in response to the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections;[5] Attorney General John Ashcroft;[6] and former National Security Adviser and United States Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton.[4]

Cooper has more than 40 years of legal experience in government and private practice, with numerous cases in trial and appellate court. He has argued several cases before the United States Supreme Court and been described as "one of the most prominent and aggressive Supreme Court litigators in the country."[7]

  1. ^ Newton, David E. (2010). Same-Sex Marriage: A Reference Handbook: A Reference Handbook. ABC-CLIO. p. 140. ISBN 9781598847086.
  2. ^ "Charles J. Cooper". Archived from the original on October 29, 2019. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  3. ^ "The Supreme Court . About the Series . About the Experts | PBS".
  4. ^ a b Baker, Peter (October 26, 2019). "Waiting for Bolton: A Capital Speculates on What He Will Say". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  5. ^ Polantz, Katelyn (June 20, 2017). "Chuck Cooper Confirms: He's AG Jeff Sessions' Lawyer". The National Law Journal. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  6. ^ "'Victory Or Death': The Conservative Legal 'Warrior' Defending Jeff Sessions". TPM – Talking Points Memo. March 8, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  7. ^ Johnson, Eliana (January 4, 2017). "Litigator known for defending California's Prop. 8 helping prep Sessions for confirmation". POLITICO. Retrieved February 3, 2023.