Attorneys Are Fleeing From The Solicitor General’s Office

According to reporting by the Washington Post, whether it’s mere coincidence or caused by Donald Trump’s treatment of government attorneys as his personal legal task force, the Solicitor General’s office is experiencing an unprecedented exodus of attorneys. So far, at least half of the attorneys working in the office have left or announced their departures.

Remember, besides the SG and their principal deputy, attorneys in the office are career employees, not political appointees. And historically, the office has hired attorneys from politically diverse backgrounds. But the way Attorney General Pam Bondi has instructed the office — and Trump’s demand of loyalty from government attorneys — may have left some with little choice but to depart.

Many are uncomfortable or turned off by directives from Justice Department leaders, including Attorney General Pam
Bondi’s demand for “zealous advocacy” of President Donald Trump’s agenda, these people said.
The planned departures, and the newly announced retirement of veteran Edwin S. Kneedler, come as the Trump
administration has repeatedly asked the high court to clear the way for its efforts to dramatically reshape the federal
government, expand immigration enforcement and halt federal spending.

Georgetown Law professor Steve Vladeck notes the impact this may have on the SG’s office which has “spent its entire history building a reputation of trust and credibility that the Supreme Court relies upon and takes very seriously.”

“The question is, who is left?” Vladek said. “Who is going to argue against positions that might be good for team Trump
but are inconsistent with the standards of the office — and potentially the long-term interests of the government?”

Well, more Trump acolytes are left or being added to the office.

This week, [SG D. John] Sauer took the unusual step of bringing in Hashim M. Mooppan as a second principal deputy. Mooppan held high-level political appointments during the first Trump administration and has a similar legal pedigree to Sauer. Both were law clerks for the late Justice Antonin Scalia and the retired appeals court judge Michael Luttig. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to say whether the dual principal deputy structure would remain in coming weeks.

What do you know? Principled stands.aren’t just for Biglaw attorneys.

Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @Kathryn1@mastodon.social.

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