[JURIST] US Solicitor General nominee Elena Kagan [profile] said Tuesday that she was committed to being "true to the rule of law" in confirmation hearings [committee materials] before the Senate Judiciary Committee [committee website]. Kagan, currently the Dean at Harvard Law School [official website], said that if confirmed she would do "everything in her power to live up to" the Solicitor General's obligation to all three branches of the federal government. She praised the work of the three Bush-era Solicitors General, saying they "[served superbly] during … a time of some difficulty for the Justice Department." Although she is expected to be confirmed, Committee member Jeff Sessions (R-AL) [official website] expressed concern about Kagan's nomination, citing [transcript] her participation in a lawsuit challenging the so-called Solomon Amendment [text], which makes federal funding for universities conditional on cooperation with military recruiters. Kagan said the amendment violated the school's policy [JURIST report] prohibiting recruiting by employers who discriminate based on sexual orientation. Kagan served as Associate Counsel and Domestic Policy Advisor under former president Bill Clinton [JURIST news archive].If confirmed, Kagan would be the first female Solicitor General.

President Barack Obama announced Kagan's nomination [JURIST report] to the position last month. It was reported in January that Kagan's Harvard colleague Cass Sunstein [professional profile] will be appointed as administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs [official website]. The Solicitor General serves in the Department of Justice (DOJ) [official website], under Attorney General Eric Holder [official profile] who was confirmed in a Senate vote on Monday [JURIST report].