Donald Verrilli Jr.

Donald Verrilli
Solicitor General of the United States
Incumbent
Assumed office June 9, 2011
President	Barack Obama
Preceded by	Neal Katyal (Acting)
Personal details
Born	1957 (age 53–54) New Rochelle, New York, U.S.
Alma mater	Yale University Columbia University

Donald Beaton Verrilli Jr. (born 1957) is Solicitor General of the United States. He was sworn in to the post on June 9, 2011.^[1] On June 6, 2011, the United States Senate confirmed Verrilli in a 72–16 vote. President Barack Obama had nominated Verrilli to the post on January 26, 2011.^[2][3][4] Verrilli first had served in the Obama administration as an Associate United States Deputy Attorney General. Until he became Solicitor General, he had been serving as Deputy Counsel to the President.^[5]

Early life and education

Verrilli was born in New Rochelle, New York in 1957 to Donald and Rose Marie Verrilli.^[6][7] The family moved to Wilton, Connecticut, and Verrilli graduated from Wilton High School in 1975.^[8] He received his B.A. cum laude from Yale University (1979) and his J.D. from Columbia Law School (1983), where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Columbia Law Review and a James Kent Scholar. After graduating from law school, he was a clerk for federal Court of Appeals Judge J. Skelly Wright and for Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan Jr.

Career

Verrilli was a senior litigator with Jenner & Block, a U.S. law firm. He specialized in telecommunications, media and First Amendment law. In 2005, he represented the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) before the Supreme Court in MGM v Grokster. In 2007, he represented Viacom in the Viacom v. Google. During the same year, he also represented RIAA in Capitol v. Thomas and opposed the retrial of the case.^[9][10]

Verilli "has participated in more than 100 cases before the Supreme Court and has argued twelve."^[3] In addition to Grokster, these include two pro bono cases that were notable in the area of defendants rights. In Wiggins v. Smith, Verrilli successfully argued that his client had been denied effective assistance of counsel. In Montejo v. Louisiana, he unsuccessfully argued that his client's Sixth Amendment rights had been violated when he was questioned after having counsel appointed to him.

In early 2009, Verrilli was appointed by Barack Obama to the position of Associate United States Deputy Attorney General within the U.S. Department of Justice. In that capacity, he helped to formulate rules for Justice department review of claims that lawsuits should be dismissed because they might expose state secrets. Subsequently, in 2010, he moved to the White House as Deputy Counsel to the President. Verrilli was considered a leading candidate to replace Elena Kagan as Solicitor General of the United States, since her confirmation as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

Work as Solicitor General

On January 26, 2011, President Obama nominated Verrilli to succeed Elena Kagan as Solicitor General of the United States. On May 12, 2011, the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary voted 17-1 to forward Verrilli's nomination to the full Senate.^[11]

On May 26, 2011, Senate Democrats file for cloture on Verrilli's nomination. A cloture vote had been scheduled for June 6, 2011 but then was withdrawn right before the scheduled cloture vote. Instead, the Senate on June 6 proceeded straight to an up-or-down vote on Verrilli's nomination.^[12] Senators then confirmed Verrilli in a 72–16 vote.^[13] Verrilli was sworn in on June 9, 2011.^[14]

Personal

Verrilli married Gail W. Laster, currently a lawyer on the Democratic staff of the House Financial Services Committee, in 1988.^[7] They have a 19-year-old daughter.

References

1. ^ http://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/2011/06/verrilli-sworn-in-as-solicitor-general.html
2. ^ IBTimes Reporter (January 28, 2011). "Former Jenner partner nominated by President Obama to serve as Solicitor General". International Business Times. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/106399/20110128/former-jenner-partner-nominated-by-president-obama-to-serve-as-solicitor-general.htm. Retrieved March 31, 2011. 
3. ^ ^{a b} The White House: Office of the Press Secretary (January 24, 2011). "President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts". whitehouse.gov. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/01/24/president-obama-announces-more-key-administration-posts. Retrieved March 31, 2011. 
4. ^ http://m.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/01/26/presidential-nominations-sent-senate-1
5. ^ http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/01/24/president-obama-announces-more-key-administration-posts
6. ^ Woodrow, Stephanie (February 24, 2011). "Meet Donald B. Verrilli, Jr.". Main Justice. http://www.mainjustice.com/2011/02/24/meet-donald-b-verrilli-jr/. Retrieved March 31, 2011. 
7. ^ ^{a b}   (August 28, 1988). "Donald Verrilli Jr. And Miss Laster, Lawyer, Marry". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/28/style/donald-verrilli-jr-and-miss-laster-lawyer-marry.html. Retrieved March 31, 2011. 
8. ^ Davis, Chris (January 31, 2011). "Obama picks Wilton grad as next Solicitor General". Wilton Bulletin. http://www.acorn-online.com/joomla15/wiltonbulletin/news/localnews/84396-obama-picks-wilton-grad-as-next-solicitor-general.html. Retrieved March 31, 2011. 
9. ^ Kravets, David (March 23, 2009). "Obama Sides With RIAA, Supports $150,000 Fine per Music Track". Wired. http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/03/obama-sides-wit-2/. Retrieved March 31, 2011. 
10. ^ Gunn, Angela (February 6, 2009). "Prosecutor in Jammie Thomas case joins DoJ". Betanews. http://www.betanews.com/article/Prosecutor-in-Jammie-Thomas-case-joins-DoJ/1233879452. Retrieved March 31, 2011. 
11. ^ http://amlawdaily.typepad.com/amlawdaily/2011/05/verrillijudiciaryvote.html
12. ^ http://www.senate.gov/galleries/pdcl/index.htm
13. ^ Abrams, Jim (June 6, 2011). "Senate confirms Obama lawyer as solicitor general". Seattle Times. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2015249268_apussolicitorgeneral.html. Retrieved June 6, 2011. 
14. ^ http://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/2011/06/verrilli-sworn-in-as-solicitor-general.html

External links

• Donald Verrilli nomination information, U.S. Senate
• Don Verrilli at whorunsgov.com

Legal offices
Preceded by Neal Katyal Acting	Solicitor General of the United States 2011–present	Incumbent

Persondata
Name	Verrilli Jr., Donald B.
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1957
Place of birth	New Rochelle, New York
Date of death
Place of death