Attorney General
Senate Confirms Kagan for Solicitor General After Debate on Qualifications
Posted Mar 20, 2009, 06:51 am CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss
The dean of Harvard Law School, Elena Kagan, has been confirmed as solicitor general by a vote of 61-31.
The vote was largely along party lines, Reuters reports.
Senators debated Kagan’s qualifications for three hours before voting, according to Legal Times. Critics questioned whether she was qualified to become the government’s chief advocate before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., questioned Kagan’s lack of experience in appellate advocacy, Legal Times says. "So far as I can observe, other than time in the White House Counsel's office, Dean Kagan has practiced law for only two years in a real-world environment," he said.