Roberta “Robbie” Kaplan is a founding partner of Kaplan Hecker & Fink, which she started after 25 years at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. She was perhaps best known for successfully challenging a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) on behalf of her client Edith Windsor in the landmark case United States v. Windsor. That is, until her two recent victories representing writer E. Jean Carroll in her sexual battery and defamation suits against Donald Trump, which secured $5 million and $83.3 million jury verdicts.
In my conversation with Kaplan, she discussed her inspiration for becoming a lawyer, the advice she imparts upon fellow attorneys and the importance of asking for extensions.
