**Top 5 Things You Need to Know About the Solicitor General**

Top 5 Things You Need to Know About the Solicitor General

• America’s Lawyer: The Solicitor General is the lawyer who represents the United States government before the Supreme Court. They decide which cases the government will appeal and what arguments it will make.

• The “Tenth Justice”: Because they appear so often and are trusted to be impartial, they hold immense influence. The Court often asks them for their opinion even when the government isn’t a party to a case.

• The Gatekeeper: Before any federal agency (like the EPA or FDA) can appeal a loss to the Supreme Court, they must get permission from the Solicitor General. This gives them enormous power to shape the nation’s legal landscape.

• Unprecedented Pressure: The current Solicitor General is under fire for defending the president in highly political criminal cases, breaking the tradition of keeping the office mostly non-partisan.

• The “Forgotten President”: In the line of succession, the Solicitor General (currently #7) is ranked ahead of the Secretary of State, meaning they are closer to the presidency than most of the Cabinet.