On Friday, the US Supreme Court might have givenย Donald Trump one of the biggest setbacks of his second termย by striking down his tariffs. But at the heart of the blow to Trump was the arguments that made by an Indian-origin lawyer who has emerged as a significant figure in the landmark Supreme Court judgment that has left Trump angry.
Yes, we are talking about Neal Katyal, a former Acting Solicitor General of the US and author, who represented a group of small businesses before the court and came out with a “complete and total victory” in his own words.
In the 6-3 Supreme Court ruling on US tariffs, Katyal stated that the order underscored an important message — presidents are powerful, but the US Constitution is more powerful still.
“Today, the US Supreme Court stood up for the rule of law and Americans everywhere. In America, only Congress can impose taxes on the American people,” Katyal tweeted. Katyal also highlighted a crucial aspect — two of President Trump’s three judge appointees voted against him in the case.
Who is Neal Katyal?
Born born on March 12, 1970, in Chicago to Indian immigrants — Pratibha (doctor) and Surender (engineer), Neal Katyal completed his graduation from Dartmouth College and then pursued further studies at the high-profile Yale Law School.
Katyalโs major break in career came when he was appointed as the Acting Solicitor General by President Barack Obama in 2010. In his tenure, he has argued more than 50 cases before the Supreme Court.
Among the key cases he has fought include defending the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and challenging Trump’s 2017 travel ban, which, however, was upheld by the Supreme Court.
His judicial expertise earned him the US Justice Department’s highest civilian honour, the Edmund Randolph Award, in 2011. He has also featured in Forbes’ top 200 lawyers in the US for two years (2024 and 2025).