New Solicitor General is confirmed

The Senate on Monday voted 72 to 16 to confirm a White House lawyer, Donald Verrilli Jr., as solicitor general.

The post has been vacant since Elena Kagan left it to join the Supreme Court last August.

The solicitor general represents the executive branch before the Supreme Court.

Mr. Verrilli now serves as a deputy counsel to President Obama.

Before that, he was an associate deputy attorney general.

He clerked for former Justice William J. Brennan Jr.

(Published by NY Times - June 6, 2011)