AUG 01, 2013

Attorney General Wilson Announces Appointment of Office’s First Solicitor General

(COLUMBIA, S.C.)   Attorney General Alan Wilson today announced the appointment of Robert D. Cook as the first Solicitor General for the Attorney General’s Office.  South Carolina now joins more than 30 other states whose Attorney General’s Office has a Solicitor General position.

The Solicitor General will assist the Attorney General in developing the office’s legal policy.  He will oversee formulation of legal policies and procedures regarding the joining of amicus curiae briefs, and will help navigate issues related to federalism, states’ rights, the rule of law and various other constitutional questions.

Cook, who has served at the Attorney General’s Office since 1977, will continue in his previous capacity of supervising the Opinions section.  J. Emory Smith, Jr. has been appointed Deputy Solicitor General.   He had previously served as Assistant Deputy Attorney General in charge of the office’s Special Litigation section.

John McIntosh remains as Chief Deputy Attorney General.  In this capacity, he continues as the primary supervisor of the office’s legal operations.

In addition, Wilson also announced the appointment of Deputy Attorney General Barry Bernstein as the office’s Chief of Staff.   He will work directly with the Attorney General to establish priorities for allocating resources, and will oversee legal support functions of the office.

Wilson noted the reorganization is a streamlining of the Attorney General’s Office’s current structure to produce increased efficiency, and did not involve the hiring of additional personnel.

 

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