The Solicitor General and Intragovernmental Conflict

This Note considers the way in which the Solicitor General has resolved-and should resolve-such ambiguities in his role as advocate for the United States. First, the Note examines the accommodation of interests represented by the Solicitor General’s responses to discordant obligations. Second, it analyzes the common law and statutory sources of the Solicitor General’s responsibilities. Finally, the proper role of the Solicitor General is assessed, giving due consideration to his position .as mediator among interest groups within the government and to the institutional constraints to which he is subject.