Sri Srinivasan
Encyclopedia
Srikanth "Sri" Srinivasan (born February 23, 1967) is the Principal Deputy Solicitor General of the United States
. He has argued 17 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court
and was also a lecturer at Harvard Law School
. He has previously been reported to be under consideration by the Obama administration to be nominated to one of the two current judicial vacancies on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
. Srinivasan also is known for having represented former Enron
executive Jeffrey Skilling
in his appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2010.
, Srinivasan grew up in Lawrence, Kansas
, the child of parents who worked for the University of Kansas
. Srinivasan graduated from Lawrence High School
in Lawrence, where he played basketball.
Srinivasan earned a bachelor's degree in 1989 from Stanford University
and then earned an MBA in 1995 from the Stanford Graduate School of Business
and a law degree that same year from Stanford Law School
.
After law school, Srinivasan worked as a law clerk for United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III and then was a clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor
.
, where he worked from 2002 until 2007. He rejoined O'Melveny & Myers in 2007 as a partner, and he currently is the firm's hiring partner for its Washington, D.C. office. He made the news in 2010 for representing Skilling in his appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court, which challenged the "honest services" fraud statute and also the fact that Skilling's trial was never moved from Houston. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Skilling on the "honest services" fraud statute, but rejected the trial location argument.
Srinivasan also is a lecturer at Harvard Law School
, where he co-teaches a course on Supreme Court and appellate advocacy.
As of May 2010, Srinivasan had argued 17 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. Earlier in his career, he also performed pro bono work for presidential candidate Al Gore during the aftermath of the 2000 presidential election.
On August 26, 2011, Srinivasan was appointed to replace Neal Katyal
as Principal Deputy Solicitor General of the United States.
wrote that the Obama administration had been considering nominating Srinivasan to one of two vacancies on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
and that the idea of nominating Srinivasan had run into some opposition from some Obama supporters because of Srinivasan's work in the U.S. Solicitor General's office during the Bush administration.
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...
. He has argued 17 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
and was also a lecturer at Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
. He has previously been reported to be under consideration by the Obama administration to be nominated to one of the two current judicial vacancies on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit known informally as the D.C. Circuit, is the federal appellate court for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Appeals from the D.C. Circuit, as with all the U.S. Courts of Appeals, are heard on a...
. Srinivasan also is known for having represented former Enron
Enron
Enron Corporation was an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas. Before its bankruptcy on December 2, 2001, Enron employed approximately 22,000 staff and was one of the world's leading electricity, natural gas, communications, and pulp and paper companies, with...
executive Jeffrey Skilling
Jeffrey Skilling
Jeffrey Keith "Jeff" Skilling is the former president of Enron Corporation, headquartered in Houston, Texas. In 2006 he was convicted of multiple federal felony charges relating to Enron's financial collapse, and is currently serving a 24-year, four-month prison sentence at the Federal...
in his appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2010.
Early life and education
A native of IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Srinivasan grew up in Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...
, the child of parents who worked for the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
. Srinivasan graduated from Lawrence High School
Lawrence High School (Kansas)
Lawrence High School is a fully accredited public high school located in Lawrence, Kansas, serving students in grades 9-12. The school is one of the two public high schools located in the city. Lawrence High enrolled 1,260 students in the 2007-2008 school year...
in Lawrence, where he played basketball.
Srinivasan earned a bachelor's degree in 1989 from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
and then earned an MBA in 1995 from the Stanford Graduate School of Business
Stanford Graduate School of Business
The Stanford Graduate School of Business is one of the professional schools of Stanford University, in Stanford, California and is broadly regarded as one of the best business schools in the world.The Stanford GSB offers a general management Master of Business Administration degree, the Sloan...
and a law degree that same year from Stanford Law School
Stanford Law School
Stanford Law School is a graduate school at Stanford University located in the area known as the Silicon Valley, near Palo Alto, California in the United States. The Law School was established in 1893 when former President Benjamin Harrison joined the faculty as the first professor of law...
.
After law school, Srinivasan worked as a law clerk for United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is a federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:*District of Maryland*Eastern District of North Carolina...
Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III and then was a clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor is an American jurist who was the first female member of the Supreme Court of the United States. She served as an Associate Justice from 1981 until her retirement from the Court in 2006. O'Connor was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981...
.
Professional career
After his clerkships, Srinivasan worked for the law firm O'Melveny & Myers and then joined the office of the United States Solicitor GeneralUnited 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...
, where he worked from 2002 until 2007. He rejoined O'Melveny & Myers in 2007 as a partner, and he currently is the firm's hiring partner for its Washington, D.C. office. He made the news in 2010 for representing Skilling in his appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court, which challenged the "honest services" fraud statute and also the fact that Skilling's trial was never moved from Houston. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Skilling on the "honest services" fraud statute, but rejected the trial location argument.
Srinivasan also is a lecturer at Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
, where he co-teaches a course on Supreme Court and appellate advocacy.
As of May 2010, Srinivasan had argued 17 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. Earlier in his career, he also performed pro bono work for presidential candidate Al Gore during the aftermath of the 2000 presidential election.
On August 26, 2011, Srinivasan was appointed to replace Neal Katyal
Neal Katyal
Neal Kumar Katyal is an American lawyer and chaired professor of law. He served as Acting Solicitor General of the United States from May 2010 until June 2011. As Acting Solicitor General, Katyal succeeded Elena Kagan, who was President Barack Obama's choice to replace the retiring Associate...
as Principal Deputy Solicitor General of the United States.
Possible nomination to the D.C. Circuit
In March 2010, National Review blogger Ed WhelanM. Edward Whelan III
Martin Edward Whelan III , known professionally as M. Edward Whelan III but known in the blogosphere as Ed Whelan, is an American lawyer and a prominent conservative legal analyst...
wrote that the Obama administration had been considering nominating Srinivasan to one of two vacancies on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit known informally as the D.C. Circuit, is the federal appellate court for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Appeals from the D.C. Circuit, as with all the U.S. Courts of Appeals, are heard on a...
and that the idea of nominating Srinivasan had run into some opposition from some Obama supporters because of Srinivasan's work in the U.S. Solicitor General's office during the Bush administration.