Bancroft PLLC (formerly Bancroft Associates PLLC) was an American

law firm A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise consumer, clients (individuals or corporations) about their legal rights and Obligation, respon ...

headquartered in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

The firm was founded in Washington, D.C. by former

Assistant Attorney General Many of the divisions and offices of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) are headed by an assistant attorney general. The president of the United States appoints individuals to the position of assistant attorney general with the adv ...

Viet D. Dinh. Bancroft specialized in Supreme Court and appellate litigation, government investigations, national security law, and corporate governance. Bancroft worked in a number of substantive areas, including antitrust, arbitration, class actions, commercial, copyright, criminal, education, employment, energy, environmental, ERISA, FDA, health care, insurance, labor, national security, patent, preemption, RICO, securities, telecommunications, and all manner of constitutional issues. The firm effectively stopped operating in 2016 when its lawyers all joined the law firm

Kirkland & Ellis Kirkland & Ellis LLP is an American multinational law firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1909, Kirkland & Ellis has been the largest law firm in the world by revenue since 2017 and, as of 2025, is the seventh-largest by number ...

History

Bancroft PLLC was founded in 2003 as a legal and policy strategy firm by Viet Dinh. Dinh is perhaps best known for his involvement in designing the USA PATRIOT Act while serving as an Assistant Attorney General in the administration of George W. Bush. The firm's name reflects the address of the Dupont Circle townhouse that served as its first location. In April 2011, former

Solicitor General A solicitor general is a government official who serves as the chief representative of the government in courtroom proceedings. In systems based on the English common law that have an attorney general or equivalent position, the solicitor general ...

Paul Clement Paul Drew Clement (born June 24, 1966) is an American attorney who served as United States Solicitor General, U.S. Solicitor General from 2005 to 2008 and is known for his advocacy before the Supreme Court of the United States, U.S. Supreme Cou ...

joined the firm as a partner after resigning from King & Spalding, after that firm dropped the case of defending the

Defense of Marriage Act The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was a United States federal law passed by the 104th United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton on September 21, 1996. It banned federal recognition of same-sex marriage by limitin ...

. In September 2016,

hired all of the attorneys at the firm.

Notable cases

* Represented the

Guardian ad Litem A legal guardian is a person who has been appointed by a court or otherwise has the legal authority (and the corresponding duty) to make decisions relevant to the personal and property interests of another person who is deemed incompetent, ca ...

—who participated as a party to the proceedings on behalf of Baby Girl—in Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Bancroft, and the girl was returned to her adoptive parents. * Represented 26 states in their Supreme Court challenge to the

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act A patient is any recipient of health care services that are performed by healthcare professionals. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, nurse, optometrist, dentist, veterinarian, or other health ...

. While the

individual mandate An individual mandate is a requirement by law for certain persons to purchase or otherwise obtain a good or service. United States Militia act The Militia Acts of 1792, based on the Constitution's militia clause (in addition to its affirmative ...

was upheld, the Court ruled with Bancroft by holding the

Medicaid Medicaid is a government program in the United States that provides health insurance for adults and children with limited income and resources. The program is partially funded and primarily managed by U.S. state, state governments, which also h ...

expansion in the law unconstitutional, concluding that the federal government may not require states to expand their programs as a condition of continued participation in Medicaid. * Secured a decision in Brown v. Plata from the Supreme Court ruling that California violated the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment. This ruling will help alleviate the considerable overcrowding of California prisons that has led to failures in the delivery of medical and mental health care. * Represented the NFL in a number of cases, including a 2011 labor dispute with players. * Defended the

, which defined marriage in federal law as the union between one man and one woman.

References

External links

*{{official, http://www.bancroftpllc.com Law firms based in Washington, D.C. 2003 establishments in Washington, D.C.