Donald Verrilli Jr.

Donald Verrilli Jr.
Name	Donald Verrilli Jr.
Birth date	29 June 1957
Birth place	New Rochelle, New York
Occupation	Attorney
Known for	Solicitor General of the United States
Alma mater	Yale College; Yale Law School

Donald Verrilli Jr. is an American Attorney who served as the 46th Solicitor General of the United States from 2011 to 2016. A veteran appellate advocate, he argued high-profile matters before the Supreme Court of the United States and worked in both public service and private practice, including roles at the United States Department of Justice, prominent law firms, and as a counselor to President Barack Obama.

Early life and education

Verrilli was born in New Rochelle, New York and raised in a family connected to Westchester County, New York communities, attending local schools before matriculating at Yale College, where he studied among cohorts linked to Skull and Bones alumni and future Congress members. He earned his Juris Doctor at Yale Law School, where classmates and contemporaries included future federal judges, United States Senators, and academics affiliated with Harvard Law School, Columbia Law School, and Stanford Law School. During his education he clerked for the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and associated with scholars from Oxford University and practitioners who later joined the Supreme Court of the United States bench.

Legal career

After law school Verrilli served as a law clerk to Judge J. Skelly Wright of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and to Associate Justice William J. Brennan Jr. of the Supreme Court of the United States, linking him to a network including former clerks who became Solicitor General of the United States, United States Attorneys General, and professors at Yale Law School. He joined the United States Department of Justice in the Civil Division and later worked in private practice with firms such as Jenner & Block and others whose clients included Google, AT&T, Microsoft, and Verizon Communications. Verrilli argued cases in the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States, interacting with advocates from ACLU, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, National Federation of Independent Business, and counsel representing states like California, New York, and Florida.

Solicitor General of the United States

Nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the United States Senate, Verrilli succeeded Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal and followed predecessors such as Elena Kagan and Paul Clement. As Solicitor General of the United States he supervised briefing and oral argument before the Supreme Court of the United States, coordinated with the Attorney General Eric Holder, and worked on litigation involving statutes like the Affordable Care Act, federal statutes challenged in cases brought by the National Federation of Independent Business and state litigants including Florida and California attorneys general. He advocated positions in matters touching on First Amendment doctrines, administrative law disputes involving agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission and the National Labor Relations Board, and constitutional provisions adjudicated by the Supreme Court of the United States. His tenure coincided with decisions from the Court that involved Justices John Roberts, Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas, Stephen Breyer, Samuel Alito, and Sonia Sotomayor.

Post-government career

After resigning as Solicitor General Verrilli returned to private practice and academia, joining firms and institutions such as Munger, Tolles & Olson and participating in appellate advocacy for corporations and public-interest clients including Apple Inc., Facebook, Amazon, and nonprofit organizations like the Brennan Center for Justice. He accepted fellowships and visiting positions associated with Yale Law School, lectured at forums hosted by American Bar Association, and engaged in oral history projects with entities such as the Library of Congress and the National Archives and Records Administration. He advised state and municipal officials from jurisdictions such as California and New York on litigation strategy and regulatory matters involving federal agencies including the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission.

Notable cases and legal positions

Verrilli’s major advocacy included leading the government’s defense of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in litigation brought by the National Federation of Independent Business and multiple states, participating in arguments that engaged statutory interpretation and the Commerce Clause as discussed by scholars at Harvard Law School and Yale Law School. He argued before the Supreme Court of the United States in cases addressing Second Amendment claims, civil rights disputes involving the Equal Protection Clause and litigants such as Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. and United States v. Windsor-type matters. In administrative law he defended agency actions involving the Environmental Protection Agency and regulatory schemes challenged by energy companies and states like Texas and Oklahoma. Academic commentary on his positions appeared in journals associated with Columbia Law Review, Yale Law Journal, and practitioners from Kirkland & Ellis and Covington & Burling analyzed his briefs.

Personal life and honors

Verrilli is married and has family ties to communities in Rhode Island and the Northeastern United States; his personal network includes former clerks who have gone on to roles in the United States Senate staff and federal judiciary. Honors and recognitions during and after his public service include awards and mentions from legal organizations such as the American Bar Association, invitations to speak at the American Constitution Society and the Federalist Society conferences, and listings in legal rankings produced by publications like The National Law Journal and The American Lawyer. He continues to contribute to debates on appellate advocacy and constitutional litigation alongside scholars from institutions including Stanford Law School, Georgetown University Law Center, and University of Chicago Law School.

Category:Solicitors General of the United States Category:Yale Law School alumni Category:Living people Category:1957 births