Nation's top lawyer to step down after historic run
Solicitor General Don Verrilli will step down after five years of representing the U.S. government before the Supreme Court.
During his tenure Verrilli has argued 37 cases before a closely divided court and conducted an unusually large number of landmark arguments before the justices.
In a statement on his departure Attorney General Loretta Lynch called him "one of the most consequential Solicitors General in American history."
"Since he began his service in the Obama Administration in February of 2009, Don has been at the center of the foremost legal challenges of our time, most notably through his arguments in a series of groundbreaking cases before the Supreme Court," said Attorney General Loretta Lynch.
In 2012, Verrilli successfully defended the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, a case in which he made the decision to emphasize "constitutional tax power" as a way to preserve the law.
In 2015 he also defended the ACA against a statutory challenge and convinced the Court that the federal government has the power to provide subsidies to make health care affordable in individual states.
He also led the case against the Defense of Marriage Act and argued in Obergefell v Hodges that the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees marriage equality nationwide.
As solicitor general he played a key role in preserving several key pieces of President Obama's legacy.
"Thanks to his efforts, 20 million more Americans now know the security of quality, affordable health care; we're combatting discrimination so that more women and minorities can own their piece of the American Dream; we've reaffirmed our commitment to ensuring that immigrants are treated fairly; and our children will now grow up in a country where everyone has the freedom to marry the person they love," Mr. Obama said in a statement.
In January 2011, the president nominated Verrilli to succeed Elena Kagan as solicitor general after she was sworn in as associate Supreme Court justice. On June 6, he was confirmed by the Senate in a 72-16 vote. Verrilli was sworn in as the 46th Solicitor General of the United States on June 9, 2011.
Principal Deputy Solicitor General Ian Gershengorn will serve as acting solicitor general effective June 25, Lynch announced Thursday.