The solicitor general or one of the deputies typically argues the most important cases in the Supreme Court. Other cases may be argued by one of the assistants or another government attorney.
As a result, the list of lawyers that actually argue a case before the Supreme Court is a short one, with experience and inside knowledge of the oral argument process being extremely important.
The solicitors general tend to argue six to nine cases per Supreme Court term, while deputies argue four to five cases and assistants each argue two to three cases.
The solicitor general determines the legal position that the United States will take in the Supreme Court. In addition to supervising and conducting cases in which the government is a party, the Office of the Solicitor General also files amicus curiae briefs in cases in which the federal government has a significant interest.
CARTER G. PHILLIPS is one of the most experienced Supreme Court and appellate lawyers in the country. Since joining Sidley, Carter has argued 79 cases before the Supreme Court, more than any other lawyer in private practice.
Attorneys general are the top legal officers of their state or territory. They advise and represent their legislature and state agencies and act as the “People's Lawyer” for the citizens. Most are elected, though a few are appointed by the governor.
The solicitor general of the United StatesThe solicitor general of the United States is an officer of the Department of Justice, who oversees federal representation in all litigation before the U.S. Supreme Court.
The task of the Office of the Solicitor General is to supervise and conduct government litigation in the United States Supreme Court. Virtually all such litigation is channeled through the Office of the Solicitor General and is actively conducted by the Office.
The Attorney General for India is the Indian government's chief legal advisor, and is its principal Advocate before the Supreme Court of India. They are appointed by the President of India on the advice of the Union Cabinet under Article 76(1) of the Constitution and hold office during the pleasure of the President.
Merrick GarlandUnited States Attorney GeneralIncumbent Merrick Garland since March 11, 2021United States Department of JusticeStyleMr. Attorney General (informal) The Honorable (formal)Member ofCabinet National Security Council13 more rows
the Attorney General of the United StatesGenerally, the Attorney General of the United States is considered the nation's chief law enforcement officer.
Before issuing a ruling, the Supreme Court usually hears oral arguments, where the various parties to the suit present their arguments and the Justices ask them questions. If the case involves the federal government, the Solicitor General of the United States presents arguments on behalf of the United States.
The U.S. Marshals Service is providing “around-the-clock security” at the homes of all nine Supreme Court justices, the Department of Justice said.
The Solicitor General of India is subordinate to the Attorney General for India. They are the second law officer of the country, assists the Attorney General, and is assisted by Additional Solicitors General for India.
Five solicitors general have gone on to serve as justices of the U.S. Supreme Court: William Howard Taft, Stanley Reed, Robert Jackson, Thurgood Marshall, and Elena Kagan. Below is a table of all other solicitors general, in addition to their years of service.
Attorney General Merrick B. GarlandAttorney General Merrick B. Garland was sworn in as the 86th Attorney General of the United States on March 11, 2021. As the nation's chief law enforcement officer, Attorney General Garland leads the Justice Department's 115,000 employees, who work across the United States and in more than 50 countries worldwide.
Christina Swarns currently serves as the Executive Director of The Innocence Project, a nonprofit legal organization committed to exonerating wrongfully convicted individuals.
Leondra Kruger currently serves as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California. She obtained her Bachelors from Harvard University and her Juris Doctor from Yale. While at Yale, Kruger was the Editor-In-Chief for the Yale Law Journal.
Debo P. Adegbile was born in New York City. His birth name is Adebowale Patrick Akande Adegbile, and he starred as a child actor on Sesame Street during the 1970s. He received a bachelor’s degree from Connecticut College and his law degree from New York University School of Law in 1994.
Verna L. Williams is a graduate of Harvard Law School and is currently the Dean of the University of Cincinnati School of law and a former law professor who taught family law, gender discrimination, and constitutional law.
For members of multiple state bars, only one state certificate of good standing is necessary. In addition, the applicant must obtain the sponsorship of two current members of the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States. The sponsors must personally know the applicant but not be related to them by blood or marriage.
While any lawyer in good standing and with at least three years as a member of a state bar can be admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court, odds are that a specialist with years of experience working with the Supreme Court will argue most cases there. As in other aspects of legal practice, experience often carries the day.
While admission to the bar of the Supreme Court is an accomplishment, actually having argued a case before the highest court in the land is a true distinction.
If the government prevailed in the lower court but the solicitor general disagrees with the result, the solicitor general may confess error, after which the Supreme Court will vacate the lower court's ruling and send the case back for reconsideration.
In the federal courts of appeal, the Office of the Solicitor General reviews cases decided against the United States and determines whether the government will seek review in the Supreme Court. The solicitor general's office also reviews cases decided against the United States in the federal district courts and approves every case in which ...
The solicitor general, who has offices in the Supreme Court Building as well as the Department of Justice Headquarters, has been called the "tenth justice" as a result of the close relationship between the justices and the solicitor general (and their respective staffs of clerks and deputies).
When determining whether to grant certiorari in a case where the federal government is not a party, the Court will sometimes request that the solicitor general weigh in, a procedure referred to as a "call for the views of the solicitor general " (CVSG). In response to a CVSG, the solicitor general will file a brief opining on whether the petition should be granted and, usually, which party should prevail.
Six solicitors general have later served on the Supreme Court: William Howard Taft (who served as the 27th president of the United States before becoming Chief Justice of the United States ), Stanley Forman Reed, Robert H. Jackson, Thurgood Marshall, and Elena Kagan.
The solicitors general tend to argue six to nine cases per Supreme Court term, while deputies argue four to five cases and assistants each argue two to three cases.
For the U.S. Surgeon General, see Surgeon General of the United States. The solicitor general of the United States is the fourth-highest-ranking official in the United States Department of Justice. The current acting solicitor general, Elizabeth Prelogar, ...