solicitor general

noun

plural

solicitors general 

1. a law officer who maintains the rights of the state in suits affecting the public interest, next in rank to the attorney general.

2. the chief legal officer in some states.

3. (initial capital letters),  the law officer of the U.S. government next below the Attorney General, having charge of appeals, as to the Supreme Court.

Solicitor General

noun

1. (in Britain) the law officer of the Crown ranking next to the Attorney General (in Scotland to the Lord Advocate) and acting as his assistant

2. (in New Zealand) the government's chief lawyer: head of the Crown Law Office and prosecutor for the Crown

Word History and Origins

Origin of Solicitor General¹

First recorded in 1525–35

Example Sentences

Shannon Stevenson, the state’s solicitor general, told the court that the law doesn’t ban healthcare providers from sharing their views outside of the counseling room, or regulate life-coaches or religious ministers.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

At one point, Justice Samuel Alito posed a question to Shannon Stevenson, Colorado’s state solicitor general.

Read more on Salon

Now, as U.S. solicitor general, he serves as the federal government’s top advocate before the Supreme Court.

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Lord Edward Garnier, the former solicitor general for England and Wales, said the reaction of Mrs Kohli was "entirely understandable".

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When the 9th Circuit Court refused to lift the judge’s temporary order, the solicitor general appealed to the Supreme Court on May 1.

Read more on Los Angeles Times