OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR GENERAL The Office of the Solicitor
General was created by the Statutory Authorization Act of June
22, 1870. The Act states that there shall be an officer learned
in the law, to be called the Solicitor General, to assist the
Attorney General in the performance of his/her duties. The
mission of OSG is to represent the interests of the United
States before the Supreme Court and to oversee appellate and
certain other litigation on behalf of the United States in the
lower federal and state courts. The major functions of the OSG
are to: - Conduct, or assign and supervise all Supreme Court
cases, including appeals, petitions for and in opposition to
certiorari, briefs, and arguments. - Determine whether, and to
what extent, appeals will be taken by the government or whether
the government will file a brief amicus curiae in any appellate
court. - Determine when and whether the United States should
intervene in any court to defend the constitutionality of an Act
of Congress. - Assist the Attor