Roberta “Robbie” Kaplan successfully argued before the Supreme Court of the United States on behalf of LGBTQ rights activist Edith Windsor, in United States v. Windsor, a landmark decision that invalidated a section of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) requiring the federal government to recognize marriages of same-sex couples.
Kaplan went on to author Then Comes Marriage: United States v. Windsor and the Defeat of DOMA, chosen by the Los Angeles Times as one of the top 10 books of 2015.
Kaplan currently leads some of the country’s highest-profile commercial and public interest litigation, from suing the neo-Nazis behind the violence in Charlottesville to representing E. Jean Carroll, Mary Trump and investors in ACN in lawsuits against Donald Trump.
Kaplan left Big Law to found Kaplan Hecker & Fink in 2017 as a new kind of law firm blending a high-stakes commercial and white-collar practice with a fundamental commitment to public interest cases centered on values of
inclusion, equity and justice. The firm is majority women- and LGBTQ+-owned and more than 75 percent of its attorneys identify as women, people of color and/or LGBTQ+.
KHF takes on groundbreaking, precedent-setting cases that not only advance the public interest, but have a significant impact beyond the courtroom – especially for women and other marginalized groups. In pioneering this new kind of boutique law firm, Kaplan has redefined the traditional concept of “pro bono” by taking on important matters – both to the firm and the public – and ensuring they are at the core of the firm’s practice.
Kaplan has been widely recognized for her impact and leadership, including the New York State Bar Association’s Gold Medal Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the New York Law Journal, which also named her Attorney of the Year in 2020. Kaplan was also named Litigator of the Year by The American Lawyer and Most Innovative Lawyer of the Year by The Financial Times.
In addition to an A.B. from Harvard College (magna cum laude) and a J.D. from Columbia Law School – where she teaches a seminar on advanced civil procedure – Kaplan holds honorary doctorates from Johns Hopkins University and the Jewish Theological Seminary, among others.
Recorded May 19, 2023.
