John J. Duffy

Of Counsel

• jduffy@steptoe.com
• vCard
• Washington Office

John J. Duffy is of counsel in the Washington office of Steptoe & Johnson LLP, where he is a member of the Regulatory & Industry Affairs and Litigation Departments. He practices in the areas of litigation dispute resolution, environmental and natural resources, federal election, and Native American issues.

John previously served as Counselor to the Secretary of the Department of the Interior, Bruce Babbitt, where he provided strategic, tactical and political advice to the Secretary on a wide variety of issues, cutting across the various Bureaus in the Department, and gave policy guidance to Assistant Secretaries and Bureau Directors with the full authority of the Secretary.  In addition, he had full responsibility for the resolution of high-profile multiparty public disputes involving water rights, land claims and endangered species, and had primary responsibility for providing policy advice to the Secretary on Indian gaming matters.

Prior to his service at the Department of the Interior, John's legal career has primarily focused on the areas of litigation and negotiated dispute resolution, particularly involving contracts, and in federal election law.  His government contracts practice included advising clients on federal and state procurement laws and regulations, and representing clients before the US District Courts, the Claims Court and Boards of Contract Appeals, with special emphasis on issues raised by environmental liabilities of government agencies and by environmental clean-ups of government and government contractor facilities.  John frequently lectured on contract and government procurement issues in the United States, Canada and Europe.  His election law practice involved the representation of Presidential candidates and their political committees before the Federal Election Commission in audit and enforcement matters, and advising clients on federal and state election law issues.

John earned his Juris Doctor in 1969 at Cornell University, where he was Note and Comment Editor of the Cornell Law Review, and his Bachelor of Arts degree at Brown University in 1965.  He is admitted to practice in all federal and local courts in the District of Columbia, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the Federal Circuit, and the United States Court of Federal Claims.