In 2015, DOJ had 112,100 full-time equivalents and an annual budget of $33.136 billion. The solicitor general oversees four deputies, sixteen assistants, four recent law school graduates serving one-year fellowships and a support staff.
• Represents the interests of the United States before the Supreme Court and is responsible to oversee appellate and certain other litigation on behalf of the United States in the lower federal and state courts.
• Conducting, or assigning and supervising all Supreme Court cases, including appeals, petitions for and in opposition to certiorari, briefs and arguments.
• Determining 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.
• Determining when and whether the United States should intervene in any court to defend the constitutionality of an Act of Congress and assist the Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney General and the Associate Attorney General, as requested, in the development of department programs and policy.
• Conducts the oral arguments before the Supreme Court. Those cases not argued by the Solicitor General personally are assigned either to an assistant to the Solicitor General or to another government attorney. The vast majority of government cases are argued by the Solicitor General or one of the office attorneys.