Carter G. Phillips, a partner in Sidley’s Washington, D.C. office, has been named a winner of the “Lifetime Achievement Award” as a part of The American Lawyer Industry Awards 2022. The award is presented to those legal professionals who have “left an indelible mark on the legal profession through their substantive area of work as well as strong public service.”
Cited as the “Dean of the Supreme Court Bar,” Carter has argued a remarkable 79 cases before the Supreme Court while in private practice — more than any other lawyer in private practice. He has also presented more than 145 arguments before the United States Courts of Appeals. In 1985, Carter helped to pioneer and lead Sidley’s Supreme Court and Appellate practice, which was the first of its kind at a private law firm. Sidley has benefited from his various leadership roles at the firm, which include Managing Partner of the Washington, D.C. office (1995–2012), member of the Management Committee (1994–2018), member of the Executive Committee (1994–2018), and Chair of the Executive Committee (2012–2018).
Larry A. Barden, outgoing Chair of Sidley’s Management Committee, stated, “All of Sidley is extremely proud of Carter and his amazing record before the Supreme Court. Throughout his career, Carter has been an exceptional lawyer, leader, and colleague and it is especially gratifying to see his tireless commitment to the legal profession recognized with this ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ from The American Lawyer.”
Carter’s legacy as a premier appellate advocate of this era was cemented in the 2020 landmark Sixth Circuit opinion recognizing, for the first time, a fundamental constitutional right of access to literacy under the Due Process Clause. Carter argued this case pro bono on behalf of a class of Detroit public school students.