Whitney Alexis Brown

Overview Whitney Brown is a litigation attorney and chair of the firms Appellate and Critical Motions Group. She has extensive experience litigating complex commercial matters, including those involving constitutional law, statutory interpretation, administrative law, environmental law, and contract disputes. Drawing on her substantial clerkship experience, Whitney provides strategic counsel across all stages of litigation in both state and federal courts. Her practice spans a wide range of industries, including healthcare and natural resources. Whitney maintains an active pro bono practice focused on protecting and advancing civil rights in Alaska and beyond. Prior to joining Stoel Rives, Whitney served as a law clerk to Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor of the U. S. Supreme Court. She also clerked for Judge Morgan Christen of the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Judge Guido Calabresi of the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and Justice Goodwin H. Liu of the California Supreme Court. Whitney earned her J. D. from UCLA School of Law, where she served as editor-in-chief of UCLA Law Review, co-president of the Health Law Society, and a writing advisor for first-year law students. As part of UCLAs Supreme Court Clinic, she co-authored a successful merits brief in Nelson v. Colorado, 581 U. S. 128 (2017). Her student note on sex discrimination in commercial contracting received a nationwide award. Before law school, Whitney worked in health and education policy as a legislative assistant in the U. S. Senate and House of Representatives, and as a charter school evaluator in Chicago. Read More Read Less Education UCLA School of Law, J. D., 2017; Order of the Coif; Michael T. Masin Scholar; Editor-in-Chief, UCLA Law Review; Deans Scholarship Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, M. P. H. and Graduate Certificate in Human Rights, 2011; study abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark University of Chicago, A. B., Anthropology, 2007, with honors; study abroad in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Admissions Alaska California United States District Court for the District of Alaska United States District Court for the Eastern District of California United States Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Ninth Circuits United States Supreme Court Experience Briefed and argued Ninth Circuit appeal on behalf of large healthcare system defending against claims that it improperly terminated the employment of healthcare professionals who refused the COVID-19 vaccine during the height of the pandemic; Represented oil and gas company in the District of Alaska and related Ninth Circuit appeal in an action filed by advocacy groups challenging approval of a drilling project in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska; Represented physicians group in class action after online hackers breached data system and accessed patients private health information; Represented an oil and gas explorer in federal litigation concerning whether federal law preempts a state law requiring public dissemination of the companys confidential data collected from the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska; Represented and prevailed on appeal for California municipality in long-standing water rights dispute and prevailed on appeal on behalf of municipality in longstanding water-rights dispute; Represented state legislature in state trial and appellate courts in litigation addressing state constitutional issues; Represented trade association as intervenor-defendant in federal action filed by environmental groups challenging the Bureau of Land Managements oil and gas leasing program in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Briefed, argued, and secured remand in Ninth Circuit appeal on behalf of incarcerated individual who received constitutionally deficient medical care while in prison; Assisted local not-for-profit organization navigating governance and organizational challenges. Insights Press Releases Press Release11.04.2025 Stoel Rives Elects Nine Attorneys to 2026 Partner Class Press Release08.21.2025 Best Lawyers Recognizes 167 Stoel Rives Attorneys in 57 Practices Nationally for 2026 Recognition Included in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America (Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation), 2026 Listed in the Alaska Business Legal Elite, 2023-present Recipient of Stoel Rives LLP Andrew Guy Pro Bono Award, 2023-2024 Affiliations Professional Ninth Circuit Lawyer Representative, U. S. District Court for the District of Alaska, 2024-present President, Anchorage Association of Women Lawyers, 2025-present Member, Pro Bono Committee, Alaska Bar Association, 2022-present Board Member, Alaska Behavioral Health, 2024-present