Solicitor general announces departure from DOJ

The Justice Department’s top representative in cases before the Supreme Court plans to leave the department next month after nearly three years on the job.

Solicitor General Noel Francisco announced in a press release that he would step down effective July 3, calling his service in the position “the honor of my professional career.”

“Representing the United States before the Supreme Court is one of the greatest jobs in the law and an opportunity for which I am deeply grateful,” he continued. “I am proud of the significant success the Office of Solicitor General has had in advancing the rule of law of in our great nation alongside the dedicated men and women at the Department of Justice — some of the finest lawyers I have known.”

Francisco was first confirmed to the position in September of 2017 and in the years since represented the Trump administration in a number of high profile cases, including defenses of the president’s travel bans as well as the AFSCME v. Janus case, which is credited with significantly reducing the power of public sector unions.

“Arguing before the Court 17 times on behalf of the federal government, he has been a principled and persuasive advocate on issues ranging from the separation of powers to religious liberty to vigorous enforcement of federal immigration law,” Attorney General William Barr said of Francisco’s work in the news release.

“His skilled advocacy has been instrumental to historic victories on behalf of the President’s national security authority, the free speech rights of public employees, and property owners’ access to federal courts, among many other significant accomplishments,” Barr added.

Before joining the Trump administration, Francisco worked for a number of Republican legal causes, including the successful defense of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) on corruption charges.