View source for Donald B. Verrilli Jr.

{{short description|United States Solicitor General from 2011 to 2016}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name        = Don Verrilli
|image       = Donald Verrilli -DOJ Portrait-.jpg
|office      = 46th [[Solicitor General of the United States]]
|president   = [[Barack Obama]]
|deputy      = [[Neal Katyal]]<br>[[Sri Srinivasan]]<br>[[Ian Heath Gershengorn|Ian Gershengorn]]
|term_start  = June 9, 2011
|term_end    = June 25, 2016
|predecessor = [[Neal Katyal]] (Acting)
|successor   = [[Ian Heath Gershengorn]] (Acting)
|birth_name  = Donald Beaton Verrilli Jr.
|birth_date  = {{birth date and age|1957|6|29}}
|birth_place = [[New Rochelle, New York]], U.S.
|death_date  =
|death_place =
|party       = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|education   = [[Yale University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br>[[Columbia University]] ([[Juris Doctor|JD]])
| module              = {{Listen|pos=center|embed=yes|filename=|title=Donald B. Verrilli Jr.'s voice|type=speech|description=Verrilli's opening statements to the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] in ''[[Moore v. Harper]]''<br/>Recorded December 7, 2022}}
}}
'''Donald Beaton Verrilli Jr.''' (born June 29, 1957) is an American lawyer who served as the [[solicitor general of the United States]] from 2011 to 2016. President [[Barack Obama]] nominated Verrilli to the post on January 26, 2011. On June 6, the [[United States Senate]] confirmed Verrilli in a 72–16 vote, and he was sworn in on June 9. Verrilli previously served in the [[Obama administration]] as the [[associate deputy attorney general]] and as Deputy [[Counsel to the President]]. He is currently a partner in the [[Washington, D.C.]] office of [[Munger, Tolles & Olson]] and a lecturer at Columbia University Law School, his [[alma mater]].
==Early life and education==
Verrilli was born in [[New Rochelle, New York]], in 1957<ref name=main_justice_20110224>{{Cite news|first=Stephanie|last=Woodrow|url=http://www.mainjustice.com/2011/02/24/meet-donald-b-verrilli-jr/|title=Meet Donald B. Verrilli, Jr.|work=Main Justice|date=February 24, 2011|access-date=March 31, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008140827/http://www.mainjustice.com/2011/02/24/meet-donald-b-verrilli-jr/|archive-date=October 8, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> to Donald and Rose Marie Verrilli.<ref name=Marriage>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/28/style/donald-verrilli-jr-and-miss-laster-lawyer-marry.html|title=Donald Verrilli Jr. and Miss Laster, Lawyer, Marry|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=August 28, 1988|access-date=March 31, 2011}}</ref> He graduated from [[Wilton High School]] in [[Wilton, Connecticut]], in 1975.<ref>{{cite news |first=Rob |last=Varnon |url=http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Wilton-s-Verrilli-in-running-for-nation-s-top-5785333.php |title=Wilton's Verrilli in running for nation's top prosecutor |work=Connecticut Post |date=September 27, 2014}}</ref>
Verrill graduated ''[[cum laude]]'' from [[Yale University]] in 1979 with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] in [[history]] and graduated with honors from [[Columbia Law School]] in 1983 with a [[Juris Doctor]], where he was editor-in-chief of the ''[[Columbia Law Review]]'', a James Kent Scholar, and a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar.<ref name="Marriage" /><ref name="Oyez">[https://www.oyez.org/advocates/v/d/donald_b_verrilli_jr Biography: Donald B. Verrilli, Jr.], [[Oyez Project]].</ref>
==Career==
[[File:Donald Verrilli.png|left|thumb|254x254px|Donald Verrilli at his Senate Judiciary Committee Confirmation Hearing March 30, 2011.]]
After graduating from law school, Verrilli served as [[law clerk]] to Judge [[J. Skelly Wright]] of the [[United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit|U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit]] from 1983 to 1984 and then for Associate Justice [[William J. Brennan Jr.]] of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1984 to 1985.<ref name=main_justice_20110224/>
Verrilli was a fellow at [[Columbia University Law School]] from 1985 to 1986,<ref name=main_justice_20110224/> where he is now a lecturer in law.<ref>[https://www.law.columbia.edu/faculty/donald-verrilli "Donald J. Verrilli, Jr.", "Faculty", Columbia School of Law. Retrieved January 31 2019.]</ref> He then joined Ennis Friedman & Bersoff, in Washington, in 1986.<ref name=main_justice_20110224/> then joined [[Jenner & Block LLP]], in 1988, as an associate, and eventually became a partner.<ref name=main_justice_20110224/> While working at Jenner & Block, Verrilli also was an [[adjunct professor]] at [[American University]]'s [[Washington College of Law]] (spring 1995) and [[Georgetown University Law Center]] (from 1992 to 2008).<ref name=main_justice_20110224/>
At Jenner & Block, Verrilli specialized in telecommunications, media and First Amendment law. In 2005, he represented the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA) before the Supreme Court in ''[[MGM Studios, Inc. v. Grokster, Ltd.]]''.  In 2007, he represented [[Viacom (2005–present)|Viacom]] in ''[[Viacom International Inc. v. YouTube, Inc.]]''. During the same year, he also represented RIAA in ''[[Capitol v. Thomas]]'' and opposed the retrial of the case.<ref name=wired_20090323>{{cite magazine|first=David|last=Kravets|url=https://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/03/obama-sides-wit-2/|title=Obama Sides With RIAA, Supports $150,000 Fine per Music Track|magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]|date=March 23, 2009|access-date=March 31, 2011}}</ref><ref name=betanews_20090206>{{cite web|first=Angela|last=Gunn|url=http://www.betanews.com/article/Prosecutor-in-Jammie-Thomas-case-joins-DoJ/1233879452|title=Prosecutor in Jammie Thomas case joins DoJ|work=Betanews|date=February 6, 2009|access-date=March 31, 2011}}</ref>
Verrilli was appointed by President [[Barack Obama]] to become an [[associate deputy attorney general]] at the U.S. Department of Justice and served in this post from February 2009 to January 2010.<ref name=main_justice_20110224/> In February 2010, Verrilli joined the [[Office of White House Counsel]] as a senior and deputy counsel to the president.<ref name=main_justice_20110224/>
By 2012, Verrilli had participated in more than 100 cases before the Supreme Court, and given [[oral argument]] in seventeen of those.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/24/us/politics/donald-verrilli-the-lawyer-who-will-defend-obamas-health-law.html|work=The New York Times|first=Ian|last=Urbina|title=Donald Verrilli, the Lawyer Who Will Defend Obama's Health Law|date=March 24, 2012}}</ref> In addition to Grokster, these include two pro bono cases that were notable in the area of defendants rights. In ''[[Wiggins v. Smith]]'', Verrilli successfully argued that his client had been denied effective assistance of counsel. In ''[[Montejo v. Louisiana]]'', he unsuccessfully argued that his client's [[Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Sixth Amendment]] rights had been violated when he was questioned after having counsel appointed for him.
==Work as Solicitor General==
On January 26, 2011, President Obama nominated Verrilli to succeed [[Elena Kagan]] as Solicitor General of the United States.<ref name=ibtimes_20110128>{{cite web|author=IBTimes Reporter|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/106399/20110128/former-jenner-partner-nominated-by-president-obama-to-serve-as-solicitor-general.htm|title=Former Jenner partner nominated by President Obama to serve as Solicitor General| work=[[International Business Times]]|date=January 28, 2011|access-date=March 31, 2011}}</ref><ref name=whgov_20110124>{{cite web| author=The White House: Office of the Press Secretary|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2011/01/24/president-obama-announces-more-key-administration-posts|title=President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts|date=January 24, 2011| via=[[NARA|National Archives]]| work=[[whitehouse.gov]]|access-date=March 31, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://m.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/01/26/presidential-nominations-sent-senate-1|title=Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate &#124; The White House|publisher=M.whitehouse.gov|date=January 26, 2011|access-date=March 29, 2012}}</ref> On May 12, 2011, the [[United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary]] voted 17–1 to forward Verrilli's nomination to the full Senate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://amlawdaily.typepad.com/amlawdaily/2011/05/verrillijudiciaryvote.html|title=Senate Judiciary Committee Recommends Donald Verrilli for Solicitor General|publisher=Amlawdaily.typepad.com|date=May 12, 2011|access-date=March 29, 2012}}</ref>
On May 26, 2011, Senate Democrats filed for [[cloture]] on Verrilli's nomination. A cloture vote was withdrawn right before it was scheduled. Instead, the Senate on June 6 proceeded straight to an up-or-down vote on Verrilli's nomination.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.senate.gov/galleries/pdcl/index.htm |title=U.S. Senate Periodical Press Gallery |publisher=Senate.gov |access-date=March 29, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111126173242/https://www.senate.gov/galleries/pdcl/index.htm |archive-date=November 26, 2011 |df=mdy }}</ref> Senators then confirmed Verrilli in a 72–16 vote.<ref>{{cite news|last=Abrams|first=Jim|title=Senate confirms Obama lawyer as solicitor general|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2015249268_apussolicitorgeneral.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120713153914/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2015249268_apussolicitorgeneral.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 13, 2012|access-date=June 6, 2011|newspaper=Seattle Times|date=June 6, 2011}}</ref> Verrilli was sworn in on June 9, 2011,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/2011/06/verrilli-sworn-in-as-solicitor-general.html |title=Verrilli Sworn In as Solicitor General - The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times|publisher=Legaltimes.typepad.com|date=June 10, 2011|access-date=March 29, 2012}}</ref> and became the 46th Solicitor General.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.justice.gov/osg/bio/donald-b-verrilli-jr|publisher=Office of the Solicitor General|title=Solicitor General: Donald B. Verrilli, Jr.|date=October 23, 2014 |access-date=February 28, 2015}}</ref> He finished his position in June 2016; his final day on the job was Friday, June 25.<ref>[http://www.slate.com/articles/podcasts/amicus/2016/06/solicitor_general_donald_verrilli_retires_and_affirmative_action_is_upheld.html?wpisrc=burger_bar] ''Solicitor General Donald Verrilli Retires'', slate.com (June 25, 2016).</ref>
On March 26, 27 and 28, 2012, Verrilli argued the [[Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act]] before the Supreme Court. His performance on the 27th, the first involving substantive arguments regarding the constitutionality of the PPACA, was widely panned as a "disaster" for the Obama administration.<ref>{{cite news|last=Little|first=Morgan|title=For government lawyer Verrilli, tough week on healthcare case|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-howard-dean-offers-embattled-don-verrilli-his-advice-video-20120329,0,2390374.story?track=rss|work=Los Angeles Times|date=March 30, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Serwer|first=Adam|title=Obamacare's Supreme Court Disaster|url=http://motherjones.com/mojo/2012/03/obamacare-supreme-court-disaster}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Rosen|first=Jeffrey|title=One Simple Argument Could Have Saved Obamacare. Too Bad Verrilli Didn't Make It.|url=http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/102203/supreme-court-obamacare-verrilli}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Goodwin|first=Liz|title=Obama's Solicitor General, Donald Verrilli, has rough start at health care oral arguments|url=https://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/obama-solicitor-general-donald-verrilli-had-rough-start-200423085.html}}</ref> However, he was vindicated on June 28, 2012, when the court [[National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius|ruled]] that the individual mandate and most of the Act was constitutional,<ref>[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-29/verrilli-skadden-cravath-freehills-business-of-law.html Verrilli, Skadden, Cravath, Freehills: Business of Law], Bloomberg/Businessweek. By Elizabeth Amon. June 29, 2012. Retrieved June 29, 2012.</ref><ref>[http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2012/06/cnns-jeffrey-toobin-i-got-it-wrong-127605.html CNN's Jeffrey Toobin: 'I got it wrong'], Politico. By Dylan Byers. Posted June 28, 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2012.</ref> albeit as a tax and not as an exercise of Congress's power under the [[Commerce Clause]]. His oral arguments were praised by some{{Who|date=November 2014}} who remarked that "court arguments are not television anchor tryouts; they’re about the merits of an argument, and a review of the transcript of the oral arguments from that day (with the benefit of hindsight, of course) finds Verrilli made a strong case for the government’s taxing power."<ref>{{cite news|last=Montanaro|first=Domenico|title=How Verrilli may have won over Roberts |url=http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/06/29/12481922-how-verrilli-may-have-won-over-roberts?lite}}</ref> CNN legal commentator [[Jeffrey Toobin]], one of Verrilli's strongest critics, apologized on-air and said "This is a day for Don Verrilli to take an enormous amount of credit, and for me to eat a bit of crow, because he won, and everyone should know that that argument was a winning argument, whatever you thought of it."<ref>{{cite news|last=Broder|first=John M.|title=Vindication for Maligned Lawyer in Justices' Ruling|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/30/us/in-health-ruling-vindication-for-donald-verrilli.html|work=The New York Times|date=June 29, 2012}}</ref>
After hearing his arguments in ''[[Shelby County v. Holder]]'', Lincoln Caplan of ''[[The New York Times]]'' called Verrilli a "lawyer's lawyer" and said that he "isn't showy, but he is a deeply experienced and capable advocate who finds ways to make technical legal arguments that persuade a majority of justices. While he's not inspiring, he's often effective."<ref>{{cite news|last=Broder|first=John M.|title=The Stealthy Solicitor General|url=http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/22/the-stealthy-solicitor-general |work=The New York Times|date=March 22, 2013}}</ref>
In early June 2016, Verrilli announced that he would step down as solicitor general; Verrilli is the seventh longest serving solicitor general in U.S. history.<ref>[[Nina Totenberg]], [https://www.npr.org/2016/06/02/480378708/donald-verrilli-who-argued-groundbreaking-cases-for-the-government-stepping-down Donald Verrilli, Who Argued Groundbreaking Cases For The Government, Stepping Down], NPR (June 2, 2016).</ref>
==Personal life==
In 1988, Verrilli married Gail W. Laster,<ref name=Marriage/> who is director of the Office of Consumer Protection at the [[National Credit Union Administration]] (NCUA). They have one daughter.<ref>{{cite web|title=Laster Named Director of NCUA's Office of Consumer Protection|url=http://www.ncua.gov/News/Pages/NW20121026Laster.aspx|publisher=National Credit Union Administration|access-date=February 25, 2014}}</ref>
== See also ==
* [[List of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States (Seat 3)]]
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
==External links==
* [https://www.oyez.org/advocates/donald_b_verrilli_jr Appearances at the U.S. Supreme Court] from the [[Oyez Project]]
* [http://judiciary.senate.gov/nominations/112thCongressExecutiveNominations/SolicitorGeneral-DonaldVerrilli.cfm Donald Verrilli nomination information] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304061707/http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/nominations/112thCongressExecutiveNominations/SolicitorGeneral-DonaldVerrilli.cfm |date=March 4, 2016 }}, U.S. Senate
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20111103020120/http://www.whorunsgov.com/Profiles/Don_Verrilli Don Verrilli] at whorunsgov.com
* {{C-SPAN|36961}}
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{{s-bef|before=[[Neal Katyal]]<br>{{small|Acting}}}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Solicitor General of the United States]]|years=2011–2016}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Ian Heath Gershengorn|Ian Gershengorn]]<br>{{small|Acting}}}}
{{s-end}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Verrilli, Donald B. Jr.}}
[[Category:1957 births]]
[[Category:American people of Italian descent]]
[[Category:Law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Obama administration personnel]]
[[Category:Lawyers from New Rochelle, New York]]
[[Category:People from Wilton, Connecticut]]
[[Category:Recording Industry Association of America people]]
[[Category:Solicitors general of the United States]]
[[Category:Yale University alumni]]
[[Category:Columbia Law School alumni]]
[[Category:Columbia Law School faculty]]
[[Category:People associated with Munger, Tolles & Olson]]
[[Category:People associated with Jenner & Block]]
[[Category:Wilton High School alumni]]