| Solicitor General of the United States | |
|---|---|
 Flag of the United States solicitor general | |
 | |
| United States Department of Justice | |
| Style | Mr. or Madam Solicitor General General (in the Supreme Court) |
| Reports to | Attorney General |
| Seat | Supreme Court Building and Department of Justice Headquarters |
| Appointer | The President with Senate advice and consent |
| Constituting instrument | 28 U.S.C. § 505 |
| Formation | October 1870 |
| First holder | Benjamin Bristow |
| Deputy | Principal Deputy Solicitor General |
| Website | justice.gov/osg |
The solicitor general of the United States (USSG or SG), the fourth-highest-ranking official within the United States Department of Justice (DOJ),[1] represents the federal government in cases before the Supreme Court of the United States. The solicitor general is appointed by the president and reports directly to the United States attorney general.
The solicitor general's office argues on behalf of the federal government in almost every Supreme Court case in which the United States is a party and also represents in most cases in which the government has filed a brief as amicus curiae. In the United States courts of appeals, the solicitor general's office 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 United States district courts and decides whether the government will file an appeal.
Elizabeth Prelogar has served as solicitor general since October 28, 2021.
- ^ Ginsburg, Benjamin; Lowi, Theodore J.; Weir, Margaret; Tolbert, Caroline J.; Campbell, Andrea L. (2019). We The People: An Introduction to American Politics (12th ed.). New York, New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. p. 612. ISBN 978-0-393-66463-8.