About Brian Timothy
Brian Timothy Burgess built his path through some of the nation's most influential courts and government offices. He earned a B.A. in philosophy from Dartmouth College in 2005 and went on to receive his J.D. from New York University School of Law in 2009. Those academic foundations paved the way for an early immersion in appellate work and federal litigation.
Fresh out of law school, Burgess began a sequence of federal clerkships that would shape his career. He clerked for Judge Guido Calabresi on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 2009. The following year he served on the D.C. Circuit, clerking for Judge David S. Tatel. In 2011 he joined the Department of Justice as a Special Assistant to the Solicitor General. That position placed him at the center of the government's appellate advocacy. In 2012 he clerked for Justice Sonia M. Sotomayor at the U.S. Supreme Court, a role that deepened his exposure to high-stakes federal questions.
After his clerkship at the Supreme Court, Burgess moved into private practice. He became a partner at Goodwin in 2013 and has been listed with that firm since. His professional memberships include the New York State Bar, which he joined in 2011, and the District of Columbia Bar, where he has been a member since 2014. Those admissions allow him to operate across important federal and regional venues.
Observers of appellate litigation will recognize the steady through-line in Burgess's résumé: a sequence of roles tied to appeals and federal litigation. His time at the Solicitor General's office and his clerkship at the Supreme Court are often signposts of lawyers who work on briefs and arguments in higher courts. Burgess has carried that experience into private practice, where he reviews complex records, shapes legal questions for appellate review, and prepares filings intended for federal courts.
Colleagues describe him as someone who moves comfortably between detailed legal research and courtroom advocacy. He has navigated both government and private-sector settings, and he continues to work on matters that require a command of appellate procedure and federal law. He practices at Goodwin, where he concentrates on appellate litigation and federal constitutional matters.
