Chatter Quote by Donald Verrilli Jr
“I had a great deal of independence from the president and the White House during the entirety of my five years. And I'm not sure exactly what that is, but our friend, Walter Dellinger, has a theory about it, and I think he's probably right. And the theory starts with the fact that I worked in the White House for a year and a half before coming over to the position of SG. And because of that, when I was nominated, there was some chatter out there that, "Oh. They're putting a political hack in. This has never happened before."”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Remarks at the American Bar Association Annual Meeting, 2015
He describes his autonomy from the White House while serving as Solicitor General, noting his prior White House experience and others' perceptions of political bias.
In simple terms: He was independent despite past White House work, and some thought he was a political insider.
Key Takeaway
Recognize that experience can both inform and raise concerns about impartiality.
Themes
independence
politics
law
public service
perception
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
political
legal
reflective
When to use this quote
- legal advice
- government appointments
- public statements
- media scrutiny
Key Concepts
institutional trust
ethical considerations
career trajectory
Questions to Reflect On
- How does prior political work affect perceived neutrality?
- What safeguards ensure impartial legal counsel?
A Different Perspective
His independence may be limited by prior affiliations and external expectations.
![“There was a huge movement that led up to [gay marriage legilization], and I played a small role in the great scheme of things. But it was really a privilege to get to do it.” quote by Donald Verrilli Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3b7/donald-verrilli-jr-17929_gay_there-was-a-huge-movement-that-led-up-to_144067.jpg)
![“I did think Justice [Antony] Kennedy's opinion on Lawrence was critical to that because it really, what Lawrence in one sense was, of course, about consensual sex being something that the government can't regulate. But really in a more fundamental sense, what it was saying, "Look. Gay people are…” quote by Donald Verrilli Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/52c/donald-verrilli-jr-17929_antony_i-did-think-justice-antony-kennedy-s-opi_278373.jpg)
![“Justice [Sonia]Sotomayor said, "Let's talk - you want to talk about the tax power."And I got like a 10-minute run on the tax power. And, boy, was I glad I did because I was able to get across this idea that, yes, this is a narrower ground on which you can affirm it. And I think everybody agrees. I…” quote by Donald Verrilli Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dc0/donald-verrilli-jr-17929_able_justice-sonia-sotomayor-said-let-s-talk_635926.jpg)
![“There was only really one time that I had a substantive interaction with the president [Barak Obama] directly, and that was in 2013 when we were deciding whether to file a brief in the first gay marriage case, the Perry against Hollingsworth case. That was a weighty decision about whether the…” quote by Donald Verrilli Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/308/donald-verrilli-jr-17929_bans_there-was-only-really-one-time-that-i-ha_867816.jpg)
