It was business as usual at the Solicitor General’s Office last week, which meant preparing for oral arguments and discussing cases with the boss — even though the boss, Solicitor General Paul Clement, had just been named acting attorney general, starting when Alberto Gonzales leaves on Sept. 17. He might even get the nod for the permanent position. “Same old Paul,” said one lawyer at the office. “Nothing has changed of any significance.”
The news of Clement’s appointment was not a surprise in the office, another said, because Clement was the next Senate-confirmed official in the department’s line of succession. (Deputy and associate attorney general seats are not yet filled.)
