Voices from Across My Office: The Office of the Solicitor General
At the Office of the Attorney General, we’re proud of the broad array of work we do on behalf of the District, and the hundreds of employees who make our agency run. “Voices from Across My Office” is a blog series highlighting some of the people behind our efforts and the variety of work they do to support, defend, and stand up for District residents. This week’s spotlight is on The Office of the Solicitor General.
About the Office of the Solicitor General
The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) represents the Office of Attorney General (OAG) in all appellate matters, including those before the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States. The attorneys of OSG handle over 500 appeals each year.
OSG represents the District in cases that include a wide range of topics — including antitrust, employment discrimination, and constitutional issues, including, for example, why Americans living in U.S. Territories are entitled to Supplemental Security Income benefits. OSG also collaborates with other state attorney general offices on high-profile issues, such as fighting for states’ ability to implement lifesaving solutions to the opioid epidemic. OSG has led OAG’s advocacy to protect the right to vote, including by intervening in cases opposing unfair voting restrictions in other states, including Florida and Georgia.
Below are some of the extraordinary and mission-driven people that make up the Office of the Solicitor General.
Staff Spotlights
Name: Megan Browder
Title: Assistant Attorney General
Time at OAG: 1 Year
Why did you go into public service?
I did a range of things before going into public service, including working in finance for several years and volunteering for the Peace Corps. However, I always planned to come back to the government in some way. I originally thought that I wanted to work for the federal government, but the longer that I lived in DC, the more interested I became in local government. Representing the District can have an immediate impact on the things that occur in our day to day lives, and I wanted to be a part of that.
Tell us about a previous job you had either related or unrelated to law that helps you in your current role?
I served as a business volunteer for the Peace Corps in Kenya, where I volunteered in a small town about two hours south of Nairobi. I worked with the local women to start small community banks for village women. Being in the Peace Corps allows you to meet different types of people and puts you in situations that might be out of your comfort zone. For example, I worked a lot on my public speaking skills during my time there, which has helped me become more comfortable doing oral arguments in court.
Tell us a little bit about your job and how it impacts DC residents.
The Office of the Solicitor General is responsible for affirmative and defensive appeals for District residents and several District agencies. We are all generalists, meaning we represent the District on a wide range of topics. For example, I was the lead attorney defending the District’s eviction-filing moratorium, which a lower court had invalidated. I worked to get the D.C. Court of Appeals to grant a stay of the moratorium, and ultimately was successful in defending the law. Both of these wins made sure that the eviction-filing moratorium stayed in place.
If you could have dinner with any person in the world, who would it be?
Serena Williams — she is so determined, even when she has setbacks, even in the face of hostility, misogyny, and racism. She also seems very positive and very focused.
Name: Graham Phillips
Title: Assistant Attorney General
Time at OAG: 2 Years
Why did you become a lawyer?
I had never really considered being a lawyer before or during college. After college, I served in the Army for several years, and near the end of my enlistment, I happened to read a couple of books on national security topics that had a heavy legal slant to them. Reading those books was what first made me realize that law was quite an interesting subject and that being a lawyer might be fun. Ironically, I turned out not to be especially interested in national security law, but that was what started me down the path.
Where did you work before you came to OAG?
Once I got out of the military, I took a gap year before going to law school. During that year, I worked at a tutoring center in Bethesda, Maryland. After law school, I clerked for three federal judges, all here in the District: Judge Griffith on the D.C. Circuit, Chief Justice Roberts on the Supreme Court, and Judge Bates on the District Court. That was a somewhat unusual ordering of clerkships, but I enjoyed it and can honestly say that all three judges were outstanding people to work for. After clerking, I worked for several years at Latham & Watkins, mostly doing appellate litigation. I was fortunate to work with really top-notch litigators at Latham, who improved my writing and shaped my sense of how to effectively approach an appeal.
What is the day-to-day life of an appellate lawyer?
A lot of legal research and writing. The main work-product that OSG produces are appellate briefs. These briefs are typically 30 to 50 pages long, tell the story of a case, and argue that the decision of the trial court (or sometimes an administrative agency) should be upheld or reversed, depending on our position in the litigation. These briefs can take weeks or sometimes months to draft. You need to read all the underlying materials in the case, research the relevant legal concepts, brainstorm the best possible arguments, and then actually write the whole thing — hopefully in a way that’s compelling and easily understood by an appeals court judge who is new to the case. For the most part, OSG tends to have one lawyer working on each case, so it can be a more solitary legal practice than a lot of other divisions of OAG. But I have many generous OSG colleagues who are willing to help me think through particularly tricky cases.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Especially since the pandemic hit, I’ve been trying to be more physically active: I run pretty regularly (not very far or fast), and I take an online barre class that my girlfriend Ashley teaches. Ashley and I are also big crossword and cryptic-crossword fans. And, to be honest, I watch my fair share of television. I recently watched all the past seasons of the Great British Bake Off and I definitely recommend it, even if (like me) you have no baking skill whatsoever.
Name: Stacy Anderson
Title: Senior Assistant Attorney General
Time at OAG: 20 Years
Tell us about your path to being a lawyer.
It wasn’t a planned path. When I was a child, I wanted to go into law enforcement. In undergrad, I majored in business and minored in criminal justice. After I graduated, I realized that business wasn’t for me. So, on a whim I took the LSAT and applied to law school with the idea of being a prosecutor after I graduated.
What kind of legal work did you do before working in OSG?
My first job after law school was working with the Missouri Office of the Attorney General doing criminal felony appeals. I absolutely loved it and worked there for eight years. I moved to the DC area in the early 2000s and started off as a trial prosecutor in the Public Safety Division (PSD). I did that for a year, and then worked as an Assistant Section Chief for PSD for two years. My heart has always been with appellate work, so when I was offered the chance to do that type of work again, I jumped on it. I have worked with the Office of the Solicitor General ever since.
What do you like most about working for OSG?
I really enjoy the wide variety of work. Every case that comes up for appeal goes through OSG. In this way, OSG is unique because you get to see all areas of the law. With every case I pick up, I’m learning something new, so this work never gets stale. I also like that we have such an impact on people’s daily lives, whether it be something smaller or larger and consequential.
What might someone find you doing during the weekend?
Spending time with my wife and our grandson, who we are raising. He keeps us super busy with all the activities he’s in.
