Michael Dreeben

Michael Dreeben (Duke ’81) has worked in the solicitor general’s office, which represents the federal government in Supreme Court cases, since 1988, and is widely considered one of America’s preeminent experts in criminal law. Dreeben is one of only eight lawyers ever to have argued more than 100 cases before the Supreme Court. Mueller has reportedly tapped Dreeben to serve as the investigation’s own legal counsel, advising Mueller to ensure that their prosecutorial moves are legally airtight. In addition, Mueller has tasked Dreeben with answering a fairly novel legal question: whether President Trump would have the authority to pardon people under investigation before they have been charged with any crime. Bloomberg reported in October that Dreeben has been researching past pardons to determine what limits there are to that presidential prerogative.