The Michigan Solicitor General or Solicitor General of Michigan is the top appellate lawyer for the State of Michigan. It is an appointed position in the Office of the Michigan Attorney General

Michigan Attorney General

The Attorney General of Michigan is the fourth-ranking official in the U.S. state of Michigan and one of four great offices of state. The officeholder is elected statewide in the November general election alongside the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, members of the Senate and...

, with supervision over all of the office's major appellate cases and amici briefs. The majority of the matters that the Solicitor General handles are argued in the United States Supreme Court and the Michigan Supreme Court

Michigan Supreme Court

The Michigan Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is known as Michigan's "court of last resort" and consists of seven justices who are elected to eight-year terms. Candidates are nominated by political parties and are elected on a nonpartisan ballot...

, although the Solicitor General is also responsible for Michigan's filings in the United States Court of Appeals

United States court of appeals

The United States courts of appeals are the intermediate appellate courts of the United States federal court system...

 for the Sixth Circuit, Michigan's appellate courts, and other federal and state appellate courts. On February 28, 2011, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette named John J. Bursch

John J. Bursch

John J. Bursch is the 10th Michigan Solicitor General. He was appointed by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette on February 28, 2011.-Background:...

 Michigan Solicitor General and Eric B. Restuccia Deputy Michigan Solicitor General, proclaiming them "the best one-two punch of any Attorney General's office in America."

Creation

The office of Michigan Solicitor General was created in 1939 and is modeled after the United States Solicitor General

United States Solicitor General

The United States Solicitor General is the person appointed to represent the federal government of the United States before the Supreme Court of the United States. The current Solicitor General, Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 6, 2011 and sworn in on June...

. The position is codified in Michigan Compiled Laws Section 14.28.

List of Solicitors

The current Michigan Solicitor General is John J. Bursch

John J. Bursch

John J. Bursch is the 10th Michigan Solicitor General. He was appointed by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette on February 28, 2011.-Background:...

.

Years	Michigan Solicitor General	Michigan Attorney General
1941–1957	Edmund E. Shepherd	Herbert J. Rushton John R. Dethmers John R. Dethmers John R. Dethmers was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.Dethmers was born in Plessis in O'Brien County, Iowa. He resided in Orange City, Iowa, Holland, Michigan, and East Lansing, Michigan. He enrolled at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, then went on to the University of Michigan Law... Foss O. Eldred Foss O. Eldred Foss O. Eldred was Attorney General of Michigan in 1946 when he was appointed to fill out an unexpired term. He also held many other political offices.... Eugene F. Black Eugene F. Black Eugene F. Black was a member of the Michigan Supreme Court from 1956 to 1972.Black studied law at both the Detroit College of Law and the University of Michigan Law School. He passed the bar in 1925. In 1945, Black was elected Michigan Attorney General as a Republican, but he did not seek... Stephen John Roth Stephen John Roth Stephen John Roth was a United States federal judge.Roth received a Ph.B. from the University of Notre Dame in 1931, and an LL.B. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1935. He was in private practice in Flint, Michigan, 1935–37, 1939–41, 1943, 1945-48 from 1950 to 52... Frank G. Millard Thomas M. Kavanagh Thomas M. Kavanagh Thomas Matthew Kavanagh was an American politician. Born near Carson City, Michigan he served as the 48th Michigan Attorney General from 1955 to 1957. Thomas Kavanagh went on to serve as a justice on the Michigan Supreme Court from 1958 to 1975 which included eight years as Chief Justice from...
1957–1961	Samuel J. Torina	Paul L. Adams Paul L. Adams Paul L. Adams was a member of the Michigan Supreme Court in 1962 and also from 1964-1972.Adams was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. He received a bachelor's, master's and a law degree all from the University of Michigan. He was mayor of Sault Ste...
1961–1962	Joseph B. Belitzke	Frank J. Kelley Frank J. Kelley Frank J. Kelley , was the 50th Attorney General of the U.S. state of Michigan. His 37-year term of office, from 1961 to 1998, made him both the youngest and oldest Attorney General in the state's history, and led to his nickname as the "Eternal General". He is the longest serving state attorney...
1962–1962	Eugene Krasicky	Frank J. Kelley Frank J. Kelley Frank J. Kelley , was the 50th Attorney General of the U.S. state of Michigan. His 37-year term of office, from 1961 to 1998, made him both the youngest and oldest Attorney General in the state's history, and led to his nickname as the "Eternal General". He is the longest serving state attorney...
1963–1982	Robert A. Derengoski	Frank J. Kelley Frank J. Kelley Frank J. Kelley , was the 50th Attorney General of the U.S. state of Michigan. His 37-year term of office, from 1961 to 1998, made him both the youngest and oldest Attorney General in the state's history, and led to his nickname as the "Eternal General". He is the longest serving state attorney...
1982–1990	Louis J. Caruso	Frank J. Kelley Frank J. Kelley Frank J. Kelley , was the 50th Attorney General of the U.S. state of Michigan. His 37-year term of office, from 1961 to 1998, made him both the youngest and oldest Attorney General in the state's history, and led to his nickname as the "Eternal General". He is the longest serving state attorney...
1990–1992	Gay Secor Hardy	Frank J. Kelley Frank J. Kelley Frank J. Kelley , was the 50th Attorney General of the U.S. state of Michigan. His 37-year term of office, from 1961 to 1998, made him both the youngest and oldest Attorney General in the state's history, and led to his nickname as the "Eternal General". He is the longest serving state attorney...
1992–2008	Thomas L. Casey	Frank J. Kelley Frank J. Kelley Frank J. Kelley , was the 50th Attorney General of the U.S. state of Michigan. His 37-year term of office, from 1961 to 1998, made him both the youngest and oldest Attorney General in the state's history, and led to his nickname as the "Eternal General". He is the longest serving state attorney... Jennifer M. Granholm Mike Cox Mike Cox Mike Cox was Michigan's 52nd Attorney General; the first Republican to hold that office since 1955. Cox took office in 2003 and won re-election in 2006. Michigan Governor Jennifer M...
2008–2011	B. Eric Restuccia	Mike Cox Mike Cox Mike Cox was Michigan's 52nd Attorney General; the first Republican to hold that office since 1955. Cox took office in 2003 and won re-election in 2006. Michigan Governor Jennifer M...
2011–present	John J. Bursch John J. Bursch John J. Bursch is the 10th Michigan Solicitor General. He was appointed by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette on February 28, 2011.-Background:...	Bill Schuette Bill Schuette William Duncan "Bill" Schuette is an American Republican politician and the current Attorney General of the U.S. state of Michigan.-Early life:...

External Links

• Michigan Attorney General (official site)
• Michigan Solicitor General (official site)