Office of the Solicitor General
Office of the Attorney General

Salary range: $135,000 – $150,000
Closing: 03/27/18

This position is outside of the collective bargaining unit.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES: The Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia is seeking candidates for the position of Deputy Solicitor General.

The Office of the Solicitor General handles high-profile matters of both local and national importance, and is responsible for the District’s civil and criminal appellate litigation. The Office practices most frequently before the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States. There are two Deputy Solicitors General who report to the Solicitor General and who are the immediate supervisors for a staff of assistant attorneys general and other administrative professionals.

This Deputy Solicitor General is responsible for civil and administrative appeals. (There is another Deputy Solicitor General responsible for criminal and juvenile appeals.) These appeals cover a tremendous variety of substantive areas including constitutional law, contracts, family law, torts, tax, and administrative law.

The Deputy Solicitor General has a leadership role in defending the interests of the District of Columbia. The duties of the Deputy Solicitor General include:

  • Consulting and coordinating with the Attorney General, the Solicitor General, and other senior management on matters which are pending, or may be brought, before the appellate courts.
  • Making recommendations to the Solicitor General on whether any matter should be pursued before the appellate courts, including recommendations on petitions for rehearing and certiorari.
  • Reviewing legal briefs drafted by the assistant attorneys general working for the Office of the Solicitor General to ensure high-quality written advocacy.
  • Participating in moot courts and attending oral arguments to ensure high-quality oral advocacy.
  • Monitoring cases on appeal and assigning appellate matters to appropriate staff.
  • Handling selected significant matters personally.
  • Supervising and evaluating the attorneys and support staff assigned to the Office of the Solicitor General.
  • Assisting in identifying training needs and suitable professional development programs for appellate advocacy and legal writing.
  • Monitoring the development of the law in the federal and local appellate courts.
  • Advising attorneys elsewhere in the District government on the effect of appellate decisions and on occasion helping draft legislation in response to such decisions.
  • Making recommendations to the Solicitor General on whether the District of Columbia should initiate or join amicus briefs with other state Attorneys General on issues of mutual interest.
  • Serving as acting Solicitor General when the Solicitor General is unavailable.

QUALIFICATIONS: This position requires substantial appellate litigation experience and previous managerial experience. Substantial knowledge of District of Columbia law is highly desirable though not required.

ELIGIBILITY: The successful candidate must have a law degree and be an active member in good standing of the bar of any jurisdiction. If not a member of the District of Columbia Bar, the candidate must be sworn into the District of Columbia Bar within 360 days of his/her initial appointment with the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia.

Please see attachment for more information.