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Solicitor General nominee Kagan pledges to be 'true to the rule of law'

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] US Solicitor General nominee Elena Kagan said Tuesday that she was committed to being "true to the rule of law" in confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Kagan, currently the Dean at Harvard Law School, said that if confirmed she would do "everything in her power to live up to" the Solicitor General's obligation to all three branches of the federal government. She praised the work of the three Bush-era Solicitors General, saying they " during ... a time of some difficulty for the Justice Department." Although she is expected to be confirmed, Committee member Jeff Sessions (R-AL) expressed concern about Kagan's nomination, citing her participation in a lawsuit challenging the so-called Solomon Amendment, which makes federal funding for universities conditional on cooperation with military recruiters. Kagan said the amendment violated the school's policy prohibiting recruiting by employers who discriminate based on sexual orientation. Kagan served as Associate Counsel and Domestic Policy Advisor under former president Bill Clinton.If confirmed, Kagan would be the first female Solicitor General. President Barack Obama announced Kagan's nomination to the position last month. It was reported in January that Kagan's Harvard colleague Cass Sunstein will be appointed as administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. The Solicitor General serves in the Department of Justice (DOJ), under Attorney General Eric Holder who was confirmed in a Senate vote on Monday.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on February 10, 2009 (boomark / email).