Hitchcock Law Firm PLLC

Litigation can be a time-consuming, frustrating and expensive endeavor.  There are times, however, when litigation is necessary as a means to advance or protect a client's interest.  

The Hitchcock Law Firm seeks to work with clients before any suit is filed to see if there are ways to resolve disputes short of litigation. The firm will vigorously represent a client's position in discussions with the other side and explore ways to resolve the situation in a mutually satisfactory fashion. The firm will also explore and be prepared to utilize "alternative dispute resolution" or "ADR" approaches, and the firm's principal, Cornish F. Hitchcock has been named as a mediator in dozens of disputes over the past decade by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. If litigation is required, the firm will endeavor to staff a case as leanly as possible and will seek to devise effective strategies consistent with the client's goals and resources.

If all else fails, the Hitchcock firm is prepared to file or defend litigation in the appropriate court. The firm's principal, Cornish F. Hitchcock, has more than 30 years of experience in this area. He has served as lead counsel in more than 20 federal and state trial courts around the country. He has also briefed and argued over 50 appeals in nine federal circuit courts and several state courts. In addition, Mr. Hitchcock has argued five cases in the Supreme Court of the United States.

The firm's litigation has focused on the substantive practice areas set out in this website. In addition, the principal of the firm, Cornish F. Hitchcock, has represented clients who have filed suit in the following areas:

1. constitutional challenges to government activities said to violate the First Amendment, Commerce Clause, Equal Protection Clause and other provisions. The five cases litigated by Mr. Hitchcock in the U.S. Supreme Court all involved constitutional issues.
2. challenges to decisions of federal or local agencies under the applicable Administrative Procedure Act.
3. challenges by journalists and other plaintiffs who have been denied access to federal agency documents, using the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act; in addition, the firm has experience challenging overly broad seals on court records.