Meet Neal Katyal, The ‘Trump Tormentor’ Challenging US President’s Authority To Impose Tariffs

Last Updated:November 04, 2025, 01:20 IST

Neal Katyal will argue before the US Supreme Court on presidential tariff powers under IEEPA, challenging Donald Trump.

Neal Katyal, who has argued more than 50 Supreme Court cases, will challenge the President’s use of emergency powers to levy tariffs. (IMAGE: @neal_katyal/X)

Indian-American attorney Neal Katyal is set to appear before the US Supreme Court on Wednesday to argue a case that US President Donald Trump has described as “one of the most important in the history of the country."

The case will decide whether the President has the authority to impose sweeping tariffs under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), or whether that power rests with Congress.

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

The 54-year-old attorney is the lead counsel for the plaintiffs, who will argue that the power of taxation and tariffs lies with Congress.

“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 Sunday in a post on Truth Social.

Katyal is urging the Supreme Court to uphold a 7-4 ruling by the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which found that the President lacked the authority to impose such tariffs. Katyal represented the Liberty Justice Center in that case.

Given the significance of the issue, the Supreme Court has allotted 80 minutes for oral arguments — longer than the standard 60 minutes. The courtroom is expected to be packed, with intense public and international attention on the proceedings, the Times of India reported.

Who Is Neal Katyal?

Katyal is a prominent figure in American legal circles, having argued more than 50 cases before the US Supreme Court. He first gained national attention as co-counsel for Vice President Al Gore during the Bush v. Gore case in 2000.

Over the years, he has earned a reputation as a “Trump tormentor", frequently challenging policies introduced by the Trump administration.

Katyal argued against the travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority countries and opposed White House efforts to fast-track deportations during Trump’s first term.

Born in Chicago to Indian immigrant parents — a physician mother and an engineer father — Katyal graduated from Yale Law School, where he studied under renowned constitutional law scholar Akhil Amar.

His sister, Sonia Katyal, is a professor of law and co-director of the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology at UC Berkeley.

Amar’s brother, Vikram Amar, served as Dean of the University of Illinois College of Law and is now a Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of California.

The case against Trump’s tariff authority also features another Indian-American attorney, Pratik Shah, head of Akin Gump’s Supreme Court and Appellate practice.

Shah represented Learning Resources and hand2mind, two educational toy companies that joined the challenge to presidential powers under IEEPA.

The US Supreme Court consolidated all related challenges into a single hearing for Wednesday. According to SCOTUSblog, Katyal was chosen to present the lead arguments after a coin toss.

Shankhyaneel Sarkar

Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a Chief Sub-Editor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over seven years of experience during which he has covered se...Read More

Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a Chief Sub-Editor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over seven years of experience during which he has covered se...

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News world Meet Neal Katyal, The ‘Trump Tormentor’ Challenging US President’s Authority To Impose Tariffs

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