Bruce Spiva
Managing Partner (Washington, DC) – Perkins Coie

Description of field of expertise

Bruce V. Spiva has tried cases, conducted arbitrations, and argued appeals in areas of law ranging from congressional redistricting, civil rights, and First Amendment, to antitrust and securities. Bruce has an active political law trial practice, having tried 12 redistricting and voting rights cases in the past six years, and several others earlier in his career. 

In addition to his trial practice, Bruce is an experienced appellate lawyer. He has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court and in the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the District of Columbia, the  Fourth, Seventh, Ninth (including en banc), and Eleventh Circuits, as well as several state supreme and intermediate appellate courts. He has a long track record of litigating public interest cases, including representing a sexual assault survivor in a case that led to the overhaul of police and hospital response procedures in Washington, D.C., representing a class of public housing residents in a housing desegregation case, and submitting a brief on behalf of Black Lives Matter protestors in BLM v. Trump. Bruce has successfully litigated nationwide class actions on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants. 

Bruce has published, spoken, and testified on antitrust, voting rights, and other issues. He has long been active in civic and professional service organizations, including the movement for  D.C. statehood. Bruce has served as the chair and is a current member of the board of directors of DC Vote, an organization dedicated to securing statehood for the District of Columbia. He is also the chair of the board of Statehood Yes. In 2007, he testified before the U.S. Congress in favor of the proposed D.C. Voting Rights Act. 

Bruce also serves on the advisory boards of the Institute for Consumer Antitrust Studies and the  American Antitrust Institute. He formerly served as a member of the board of directors of the  D.C. Bar Foundation, which funds organizations and attorneys who provide access to justice for low-income people in the District of Columbia. He is the former co-chair of the D.C. Bar  Litigation Section. Prior to joining Perkins Coie, Bruce headed his own law firm and was a  partner at another national law firm. 

 

What advice would you offer to new attorneys interested in your field?

A judicial clerkship is good training for both commercial litigation and voting rights and redistricting litigation. Seek out opportunities with lots of writing experience where you can get generous substantive feedback to hone your craft, as well as “stand up” litigation opportunities in court or depositions. Wherever you land, bring your “A” game on time, every time. When you make mistakes, and you will, acknowledge them and fix them, but forgive yourself and move on.