David A. Schnitzer is of counsel in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He practices in the firm’s Litigation Department, where he focuses on high-stakes administrative law matters and other complex litigation.

He has been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star six times (2018-2023), and recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America  since 2021, including for Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants , Appellate Practice, and Litigation – Environmental.  In addition David has been listed as a Rising Star in transportation by both The Legal 500 (2019) and Law360 (2018). He also served on Law360’s Transportation Editorial Advisory Board, and is a recipient of the Burton Distinguished Legal Writing Award.

David represents clients before federal and state courts at the appellate and trial levels, as well as before a wide range of administrative agencies. In addition to agency rulemaking and enforcement matters, he is experienced in high-stakes general civil litigation, particularly those involving complex procedural and jurisdictional issues. David is an experienced brief writer, and has argued before two federal courts of appeals and in several state courts.

He also maintains an active pro bono  practice, with a particular focus on immigration.

Prior to his legal career, David worked in government and politics, including positions at the Department of Defense, for two United States Senators, and on two presidential campaigns.

David earned a Juris Doctorate magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 2013, where he was an executive editor of the Georgetown Law Journal and was elected to the Order of the Coif. In 2001, he earned Bachelor of Arts degrees from Columbia University, magna cum laude, and the Jewish Theological Seminary, summa cum laude.

David is admitted to practice before the courts of Maryland and the District of Columbia; the Supreme Court of the United States; the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the District of Columbia, Second, Fourth, and Eighth Circuits; and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.