Ted Olson
Born 1940 · Age 85
American appellate litigator; partner at Gibson Dunn; Assistant Attorney General (OLC) under Reagan (1981–1984); 42nd U.S. Solicitor General (2001–2004). Prominent conservative lawyer who later joined David Boies to challenge California's Prop 8 and successfully defended DACA. Argued ~65 Supreme Court cases.
Compare Your Trajectory
See how your career milestones stack up against Ted Olson and other industry leaders.
Life & Career Timeline
Born in Chicago, Illinois
Theodore Bevry Olson born to Yvonne Lucy (née Bevry) and Lester W. Olson in Chicago.
Graduated Los Altos High School
Completed secondary education in Mountain View / Los Altos area of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Bachelor of Arts, University of the Pacific (cum laude)
Studied communications and history; charter member of the Phi Kappa Tau chapter; graduated cum laude.
Campaigned for Barry Goldwater
While a law student at UC Berkeley, campaigned for Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater.
Married Karen Beatie
Met in college; first marriage began in 1964 (later divorced in 1987).
Juris Doctor, UC Berkeley School of Law (Order of the Coif)
Member of the California Law Review; graduated with honors (Order of the Coif).
Joined Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher as associate
Began legal career in the Los Angeles office of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher.
Named partner at Gibson Dunn
Elevated from associate to partner in Gibson Dunn's Los Angeles office.
Represented Jonathan Pollard on appeal (1980s)
Handled appeals for Jonathan Pollard to the D.C. Circuit challenging the life sentence; Court of Appeals ruled 2–1 there were no grounds for mistrial.
Appointed Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel
Served as Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel under President Ronald Reagan (1981–1984).
Served as Legal Counsel to President Reagan during Iran–Contra inquiry (role)
Acted as Legal Counsel to President Reagan during the Iran–Contra investigation phase while at OLC.
Founding member of the Federalist Society
Early organizer and founding member of the conservative Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies.
Morrison v. Olson Supreme Court decision (independent counsel)
Supreme Court rejected Olson's argument that the Independent Counsel statute impaired executive power; decision in Morrison v. Olson (1988).
Served on board of The American Spectator (board membership)
Held a seat on the board of directors of The American Spectator magazine (date-span across 1990s; exact years vary by source).
Challenged California tribal gaming law (Prop 5 challenge)
Challenged California's Proposition 5 on tribal gaming; litigation ongoing into 1999.
California high court overturns Indian gaming initiative
State high court overturned aspects of the Indian gaming initiative (August 24, 1999).
Delivered oral argument in Bush v. Gore before the U.S. Supreme Court
Argued on behalf of George W. Bush; his argument was decisive in the Court's resolution of the 2000 presidential recount dispute.
Bush v. Gore Supreme Court decision ends Florida recount
The Supreme Court issued its controversial decision effectively deciding the 2000 presidential election in favor of George W. Bush.
Nominated as U.S. Solicitor General
Nominated by President George W. Bush to serve as the 42nd Solicitor General of the United States.
Confirmed by Senate as Solicitor General
Senate confirmed Olson as Solicitor General (May 24, 2001).
Took office as Solicitor General of the United States
Swore in as the 42nd Solicitor General (took oath June 11, 2001).
Barbara Olson killed aboard American Airlines Flight 77
His third wife, Barbara Olson, died in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the Pentagon; she called him during the hijacking.
Argued Christopher v. Harbury and won unanimous opinion
Argued for the federal government; Supreme Court (unanimous, opinion by Justice Souter) agreed with the government's position (536 U.S. 403).
Retired as Solicitor General and returned to Gibson Dunn
Stepped down as Solicitor General (July 2004) and resumed private practice in Gibson Dunn's Washington office.
Represented journalist in Wen Ho Lee civil matter and appeal
Represented a defendant journalist in Wen Ho Lee's civil suit seeking to discover which officials had named Lee to reporters; pursued appeal to the Supreme Court.
Published The Senate Confirmation Process: Advise and Consent, or Search and Destroy?
Authored monograph on judicial confirmation processes (National Legal Center for the Public Interest).
Married Lady Evelyn Booth
Married Lady (Evelyn) Booth, a tax attorney from Kentucky; marriage confirmed in news reports (Oct 21, 2006).
Served as judicial committee chairman for Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign
Played a senior role in Giuliani's 2008 presidential bid, advising on judicial selection and issues.
Joined David Boies to challenge Proposition 8 (Perry v. Schwarzenegger)
Partnered with former opponent David Boies to bring federal suit challenging California's Proposition 8 (ban on same-sex marriage).
Named to Time 100 and argued in Citizens United (major recognition)
Named among Time's 100 most influential people (2010) for his work; also associated with Citizens United v. FEC (2010) precedent upholding corporate speech rights.
Career milestone: ~65 Supreme Court arguments (career total)
By later accounts he had argued approximately 65 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and prevailed in roughly three‑quarters of them.
Awarded the ABA Medal with David Boies
Received the American Bar Association's highest honor (ABA Medal) jointly with David Boies for 2011.
Represented NFL Players Association in 2011 lockout dispute
Counseled the NFLPA during legal disputes in the 2011 lockout; high-profile sports law engagement.
Role-played Joe Biden in Paul Ryan's debate prep
Participated in preparation for Paul Ryan's vice presidential debate, playing the role of Joe Biden (Sept 2012).
Received Golden Plate Award, American Academy of Achievement
Honored with the Golden Plate Award presented by the American Academy of Achievement.
Published Redeeming the Dream: The Case for Marriage Equality (with David Boies)
Co-authored a book arguing the constitutional case for marriage equality; published by Viking/Penguin.
Represented Apple in FBI–Apple encryption dispute
Hired by Apple to contest an order requiring the company to unlock an iPhone; the government later withdrew the case.
Represented Tom Brady in Deflategate litigation
Represented New England Patriots QB Tom Brady; Brady ultimately elected not to pursue a Supreme Court appeal of a four-game suspension (July 15, 2016).
Won provisional injunction vs. San Francisco soda-ad warning law (9th Cir.)
Represented billboard advertisers; a 9th Circuit panel provisionally barred San Francisco's mandated health warnings on sugary-beverage ads (Sept 2017).
Declined offer to represent President Donald Trump in Mueller probe
Politically sensitive decision to decline representing Trump in the investigation of Russian interference into the 2016 election (March 2018).
Represented DACA recipients at the Supreme Court
Argued on behalf of DACA recipients in Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California (case argued in 2019; decision in 2020).
Supreme Court upholds DACA procedural holding (Regents v. DHS)
On June 18, 2020 the Supreme Court ruled against the Trump Administration's attempt to end DACA on administrative-procedure grounds, preserving the program at least procedurally.
Began representing Maverick Gaming challenging WA tribal sports betting compacts
Filed suit challenging exclusivity of Washington tribes for sports betting; case described as threatening tribal sovereignty.
Op-ed urging resolution of Guantánamo death-penalty cases
Wrote in the Wall Street Journal advocating concluding criminal cases of remaining Guantánamo defendants and offering life sentences to resolve protracted appeals (Feb 2023).
Maverick Gaming case dismissed (Western District of Washington)
Chief Judge David Estudillo dismissed the Maverick Gaming litigation (Feb 2023).
Gibson Dunn christens the Theodore B. Olson Moot Courtroom
Honored by Gibson Dunn when its downtown Los Angeles offices christened the Theodore B. Olson Moot Courtroom (June 2024).
Died of a stroke in Falls Church, Virginia
Passed away on November 13, 2024 after suffering a stroke; survived by spouse Lady Booth Olson and family.
Key Achievement Ages
Explore what Ted Olson and others achieved at these notable ages:
Similar Trajectories
Alan Mulally
Born 1945 · Age 80
American aerospace engineer and manufacturing executive; longtime Boeing leader who became president & CEO of Ford (2006–2014) and led a major turnaround; later served on corporate boards and received many industry honors.
Shiv Nadar
Born 1945 · Age 80
Indian billionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist; founder and long-time chairman of HCL (HCL Technologies) and founder/chairman of the Shiv Nadar Foundation; major donor to Indian education and arts.
Steve Martin
Born 1945 · Age 80
American comedian, actor, writer, producer and musician known for stand-up comedy, films, music (banjo), books and Broadway work. Winner of multiple Grammys, an Emmy, Mark Twain Prize, Kennedy Center Honor, Honorary Academy Award and AFI Life Achievement Award.
Les Brown
Born 1945 · Age 80
American motivational speaker, author, former radio host and multi-term Ohio state representative (29th district). Founder of Les Brown Enterprises/Les Brown Unlimited; author of Live Your Dreams and other bestsellers; notable speaker and media personality.
Azim Premji
Born 1945 · Age 80
Indian businessman and philanthropist; long-time chairman and founder-chairman of Wipro Limited; major philanthropist (Azim Premji Foundation) and signatory of the Giving Pledge.
David Allen
Born 1945 · Age 80
American author and productivity consultant; creator of the Getting Things Done (GTD) time-management method; author and founder of the David Allen Company.