• Free Speech & Social Media
      • Privacy & Surveillance
      • Transparency & Democracy
    • Litigation
    • Research
      • Events
      • Reading Rooms
      • Blog
      • Video
      • Podcasts
      • The Knight Institute
      • Board
      • Staff
      • Visiting Scholars
      • Work With Us
      • Support Us
      • Contact
      • Press Room

Reading Room Document

Role of the Solicitor General

This document discusses the institutional relationship between the Attorney General and the Solicitor General, as well as the role each should play in formulating and presenting the Government's position in litigation before the Supreme Court. It concludes that the Solicitor General was not created to relieve the Attorney General of responsibility, but to provide assistance at the Attorney General's direction. The document also presents questions for review, such as the circumstances in which the Attorney General should intervene in cases, the procedural and substantive considerations that should guide the exercise of that power, and the distinction between questions of law and questions of policy.

September 29, 1977

The OLC's Opinions

Opinions published by the OLC, including those released in response to our FOIA lawsuit

Issues

Free Speech & Social Media

Free Speech & Social Media

Featured

A Free Speech View on the “Free Speech” Executive Order

    

Privacy & Surveillance

Privacy & Surveillance

Featured

Knight Institute and SMU Law Clinic Seek Immediate Release of Records Related to Texas School’s Use of Surveillance Technology

Say surveillance systems in schools undermine students’ privacy and expressive rights, government should release related public records

Transparency & Democracy

Transparency & Democracy

Featured

Knight Institute Seeks Immediate Release of Special Counsel’s Report on Trump’s Mishandling of Classified Documents

Says the public has a First Amendment “right of access” to the document

 

Events

Surveillance Ascendant, Democracy in Free Fall

Surveillance Ascendant, Democracy in Free Fall

A convening addressing the threats to speech and privacy enabled by commercial surveillance in our quickly shifting democratic landscape

 

Learn More

Sign up for news about First Amendment events, research, and litigation

  • Issues

    • Free Speech & Social Media
    • Privacy & Surveillance
    • Transparency & Democracy
  • Litigation
  • Research
  • Public Education

    • Events
    • Reading Rooms
    • Blog
    • Video
    • Podcasts
  • About
  • Press Room
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

© 2021 Knight First Amendment Institute. Design by Point Five. Development by Tierra Innovation. Icons by Leandro Castelao.

2020 Webby Award Winner for Law Website