Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch Statement on Planned Departure of Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr.

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch released the following statement on the departure, effective June 24, of Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr. Attorney General Lynch also announced that Principal Deputy Solicitor General Ian Gershengorn will serve as Acting Solicitor General effective June 25.

Attorney General statement on the departure of Solicitor General Verrilli:

“Don Verrilli is a brilliant lawyer, a devoted public servant and one of the most consequential Solicitors General in American history,” said Attorney General Loretta Lynch.  “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.  He led the case against the Defense of Marriage Act and for the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee of marriage equality, breaking down barriers that had divided us from one another and extending the reach of America’s promise.  He secured a landmark victory in Arizona v. United States, helping to strike down harsh anti-immigration laws and prevent the separation of countless families looking for a better life.  And he successfully defended the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, preserving a law that has helped millions of Americans obtain health insurance. 

“Through these and many other cases – and through his thoughtful counsel and principled advocacy – Don has built a legacy of inclusion, expanding opportunities and civil rights for all Americans and moving our country forward.  I could not be more proud to call him a colleague and a friend.  I thank him for his extraordinary service to the Department of Justice and to the nation and I wish him well in all of his future endeavors.”

Attorney General Lynch statement on Ian Gershengorn assuming the position of Acting Solicitor General:

“In his two tours of duty with the Department of Justice, Ian Gershengorn has earned a reputation as an exceptionally talented attorney and a gifted defender of the Constitution,” said Attorney General Loretta Lynch.  “From his service in the Clinton Administration as a special assistant and counsel to the Deputy Attorney General under Attorney General Janet Reno, to his work over the course of this administration since 2009, Ian has displayed his unwavering dedication to public service and his irreproachable commitment to the rule of law.  He has played a key role in some of our most high-profile cases, including as head of the Federal Programs Branch of the department’s Civil Division, where he personally argued in defense of the Affordable Care Act during district court challenges.  I have no doubt that Ian is well-equipped to build on departing Solicitor General Don Verrilli’s extraordinary record.  I am confident that he will advance a trailblazing legacy of excellence and accomplishment.  And I am certain that as Acting Solicitor General, he will expand and extend the vital work of the Obama Administration and the American people.”