United States Solicitor General

The United States Solicitor General is the individual tasked with arguing for the Government of the United States in front of the Supreme Court of the United States, when the government is party to a case.

Related Topics:
Government of the United States - Supreme Court of the United States

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The Solicitor General works within the United States Department of Justice; he or she is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

Related Topics:
United States Department of Justice - President - Senate

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The office of Solicitor General was founded in 1870, and some traditions have been established. Whenever the Solicitor General argues a case before the Supreme Court he continues to wear late 19th century style dress, with striped pants, grey ascot, vest, and a cutaway morning coat, making him a very distinctive sight in the courtroom. Another, very substantive, tradition (that is possibly unique in United States) is the Solicitor General's right and practice of confession of judgment in cases where he or she considers the Government's prior official position to be clearly unjust: he or she can just drop the case, even if the Government has already won in the lower courts. Solicitor General Paul Clement made such a confession in January 2005 regarding a law prohibiting the display of marijuana policy reform ads in public transportation. Clement stated in a letter to Congress that "the government does not have a viable argument to advance in the statute's defense."

Related Topics:
1870 - 19th century - Morning coat - Confession of judgment - Paul Clement - 2005 - Marijuana - Public transportation

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Among lawyers and jurists, the office of United States Solicitor General is generally considered to be the highest practicing lawyer office in the United States.

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