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Elected Member

Peter
Karanjia

Location
Washington, DC, USA
Affiliation
DLA Piper US LLP
Education
University of Oxford, Brasenose College
Harvard Law School

Peter Karanjia is chair of DLA Piper's Administrative Law Appellate practice.  A former Deputy General Counsel of the Federal Communications Commision (where he oversaw all litigation on behalf of the agency, including major cases in the U.S. Supreme Court) and Special Counsel to the Solicitor General of New York, Peter has litigated more than 100 appeals.  He has extensive experience in administrative law, First Amendment law, and communications and privacy law. 

Law360 has repeatedly selected Peter as an MVP of the Year for his "successes in high-stakes litigation." Chambers USA similarly notes that Peter "has a broad range of experience in representing clients in high-stakes courtroom proceedings" and is "widely regarded as one of the go-to folks for appellate work" (2020 and 2019 editions).

Peter has successfully briefed and argued major appeals covered in The New York TimesThe Washington Post, and other national publications. He also has successfully handled high-stakes challenges to government action in trial courts across the country, including a recent First Amendment challenge to Florida’s first-of-its-kind social media “deplatforming” law, which restricts moderation practices by a wide variety of online service providers.

Peter holds law degrees from Harvard Law School, where he studied as a Kennedy Scholar, and Oxford University, from which he graduated with First Class Honors.  He is actively involved in pro bono and civic work, including regularly filing amicus briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of members of Congress, bar associations, and government officials.  Peter serves as chairman of the national board of the American Constitution Society.

Member News

Traynor on Liberty, Law, and Democracy

In his essay "Liberty, Law, and Democracy: Are There Grounds for Realistic Optimism?" Michael Traynor, former President of The American Law Institute, reflects on the challenges facing American democracy amid political polarization and institutional strain. He examines threats to the balance between liberty and law, citing dysfunction across the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, while drawing on historical context and recent scholarship to frame these concerns.

Despite his sober assessment, Traynor maintains a guarded optimism rooted in America’s resilience, civic traditions, and individual potential to effect change. He highlights positive actions within the legal community, nonprofit organizations, and among engaged citizens, while outlining five practical steps Americans can take to strengthen democracy: improving civic education, demanding accountability, fostering open debate, participating in elections and local governance, and resisting simplistic solutions.

Traynor concludes that democracy is “stubborn work,” incremental, imperfect, and ongoing, but expresses confidence that Americans have the resolve to preserve it.

Read the full article The New Nationalist

Michael Traynor is senior counsel at Cobalt LLP in Berkeley California. He served as ALI President from 2000 to 2008, and as Chair of the Council from 2008 to 2011. He is also a recipient of ALI's Distinguished Service Award. Mr. Traynor is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, the California Academy of Appellate Lawyers, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.   He received the John P. Frank Outstanding Lawyer Award from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He is an honorary life trustee of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and of Earthjustice and a past President (1973) of the Bar Association of San Francisco.