Clay R. Leland

Clay Leland is a litigation attorney at Witherspoon Brajcich McPhee, PLLC in Spokane, WA, licensed in state and federal courts, including before the United States Supreme Court. Clay has vast experience defending governmental entities, elected officials, and individuals in high-stakes disputes.

As the former attorney for the Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen and as a former Civil Deputy Prosecutor, Clay has successfully litigated cases before the Montana Supreme Court and various U.S. federal district courts on issues of regional and national importance, including prevailing as lead counsel in a nationally recognized lawsuit involving the President of the United States. His work representing the Secretary of State frequently required coordinating complex legal strategy with the Department of Justice on matters of public consequence and serving as a lead staff architect for landmark pieces of legislation.

Clay previously served at The White House in the Office of White House Counsel, where he provided analysis of significant legal and policy matters to Senior Associate White House Counsel in the Executive Office of the President, and at the U.S. Senate as a law clerk on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Clay graduated cum laude from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. He went on to earn his Juris Doctor from the University of Idaho College of Law, where he was a two-year member of the National Moot Court Team. Clay competed and received awards in Moot Court Competitions in Boise (University of Idaho), Las Vegas (UNLV - Hon. Lloyd D. George Regional Competition), and New York City (St. John’s University - Duberstein National Competition).

Clay was awarded Best Brief and Best Overall Advocate Runner-Up in the McNichols Moot Court Competition. He was also recognized for Outstanding Achievement at the 26th Annual Duberstein Bankruptcy National Moot Court Competition, which is widely seen as one of the Nation’s preeminent competitions where competitors argue leading bankruptcy issues that are likely to appear before the U.S. Supreme Court.