JURIST - Paper Chase: US solicitor general announces resignation

[JURIST] US Solicitor General Paul Clement [official profile] announced Wednesday that he is resigning from his post, effective June 2. Perhaps best-known for his Supreme Court advocacy [WP report; case resource center] of Bush Administration positions on rights and procedures at Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archive], including such notable cases as Hamdi v. Rumsfeld and Hamdan v. Rumsfeld [Duke Law backgrounders; JURIST news archive]. Clement began working for the Department of Justice in 2001 and was confirmed as solicitor general in 2005. Reuters has more.

Clement's announcement comes following the April resignation [press release, PDF] of US Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher, effective May 23. Fisher has served as the head of the US Department of Justice (DOJ) Criminal Division [DOJ division website], which during her time as division head has concentrated primarily on fraud and corruption cases. Fisher attained the post through a recess appointment [JURIST report] by President Bush, because Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) [official website] had blocked the nomination after a government agent mentioned Fisher in an e-mail about alleged abusive Guantanamo interrogations.

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