Who is Neal Katyal, the Indian-origin lawyer challenging the president’s tariff powers at US Supreme Court

Who is Neal Katyal? Indian-American lawyer taking on Trump's tariff at Supreme Court

Indian-American attorney Neal Katyal will appear before the US Supreme Court on Wednesday to argue a case that President Donald Trump has described as “one of the most important in the history of the country.” The outcome could redefine the limits of presidential authority over trade and tariffs in the United States.

The case raises questions about whether Trump exceeded his powers under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), a law that permits presidents to take action during national emergencies related to foreign affairs. A ruling against him could restrict one of his most frequently used tools, imposing tariffs to influence foreign policy.

While US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also mentioned that he would be present at the hearing of the Supreme Court on the legality of President Donald Trump's tariff policy, the treasury chief called it a "matter of national security."

"I'm actually going to go and sit, hopefully in the front row, and have a ringside seat," Bessent told Fox News' "Jesse Watters Primetime" show. "This is a matter of national security."

Trump had initially said he planned to attend the hearing in person but later decided against it, saying he “did not want to distract from the importance of the decision.”

“It will be, in my opinion, one of the most important and consequential Decisions ever made by the United States Supreme Court. If we win, we will be the Richest, Most Secure Country anywhere in the World, BY FAR. If we lose, our Country could be reduced to almost Third World status — Pray to God that that doesn’t happen!” Trump said on Truth Social.

Katyal, 54, is representing the Liberty Justice Center, which earlier won a 7–4 ruling at the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, where judges found that the President had overstepped his authority. He will now ask the Supreme Court to uphold that decision.

“The President’s claim of authority here is breathtaking,” Katyal wrote in an October 20 filing. “The IEEPA never mentions tariffs, and in 50 years, no other President has used it for that purpose.”

Given the case’s significance, the Supreme Court has allotted 80 minutes for oral arguments, longer than the standard hour. The hearing is expected to draw widespread public and international attention.

Katyal, a former acting US Solicitor General under President Obama, is among America’s most respected constitutional lawyers, having argued over 50 cases before the Supreme Court. He first gained prominence as co-counsel for Al Gore during the Bush v. Gore case in 2000 and later challenged Trump’s 2017 travel ban and efforts to accelerate deportations.

Born in Chicago to Indian immigrant parents, a physician mother and an engineer father, Katyal studied law at Yale University, where he was mentored by constitutional scholar Akhil Amar. His sister, Sonia Katyal, teaches at the University of California, Berkeley, while Amar’s brother Vikram Amar is a law professor at the University of Illinois.

Katyal has often been described as a “Trump tormentor” for repeatedly contesting the former president’s policies. He is also the author of Impeach: The Case Against Donald Trump.

“This case isn’t about politics,” a source close to Katyal’s team said. “It’s about preserving the constitutional balance between Congress and the President, and making sure no one man controls the nation’s economic fate.”

Katyal will argue on behalf of a coalition of small businesses and Democratic-led states that claim Trump’s use of IEEPA to impose tariffs was unconstitutional.

Another Indian-American lawyer, Pratik Shah, head of Akin Gump’s Supreme Court and Appellate practice, represents two educational toy companies, Learning Resources and Hand2Mind, who joined the challenge.

The Supreme Court consolidated multiple related petitions into a single hearing, and according to Bloomberg, Katyal was chosen to lead the arguments after a coin toss between the plaintiffs’ attorneys.

The Supreme Court’s ruling, expected early next year, could dramatically redefine the balance of power between the executive branch and Congress, and reshape the US's trade and economic policy for years to come.