Special Counsel Jack Smith unveiled a new weapon on Monday as part of his push to get the U.S. Supreme Court immediately involved in the sprawling investigation and prosecution of Donald Trump.
His name is Michael Dreeben.
Few U.S. lawyers know the nation's highest court quite like Dreeben, a longtime career DOJ attorney who has represented the United States more than 100 times before the Supreme Court. In May 2016, Chief Justice John Roberts recognized Dreeben for becoming the "second person to reach that rare milestone."
Dreeben worked at DOJ until mid-2019, when his government career concluded as a counsel to Special Counsel Robert Mueller during his investigation into the Trump campaign and Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Most recently, Dreeben worked as a partner at O'Melveny, where he upped his total number of Supreme Court appearances to 108, according to a copy of his biography page from early November found via the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine.
Dreeben's move to join the Smith prosecution team caught the attention of legal observers when his name surfaced Monday on the special counsel's petition to the Supreme Court seeking an immediate review of Trump's bid to get his Washington, D.C., federal criminal case dismissed on grounds that he was immune from prosecution as president.
"Bringing in Dreeben is the best possible move," Neal Katyal, a former acting U.S. solicitor general, wrote on X. "Phenomenal lawyer, with balance and respect for the Justice Department’s traditions. Just outstanding."
A Smith spokesman declined to comment when asked when Dreeben officially joined the special counsel's team. A spokesperson from O'Melveny confirmed via email that Dreeben was no longer with the lawfirm but did not answer a question about his final day.
"We thank him for his excellent work and commend him for his deep commitment to public service," the O'Melveny spokesperson said.
Joining Dreeben on the filing to the Supreme Court were Smith himself, as well as deputy special counsel J.P. Cooney and assistant to the special counsel James Pearce.