Most people don't know the name Sarah Harris. Honestly, unless you're a total SCOTUS nerd or you spend your weekends refreshing the Department of Justice’s press feed, she probably hasn’t crossed your radar. But in the high-stakes world of federal law, Sarah Harris is basically a rockstar. Or, at the very least, she's the person the most powerful people in the country call when they need to win an argument in front of the nine justices.
Earlier in 2025, things got interesting. When the transition to the new administration happened, Sarah Harris stepped into the spotlight as the Acting Solicitor General of the United States. Now, that title sounds like a mouthful, but it basically means she was the top lawyer representing the federal government at the Supreme Court. It’s a job where you don't just talk—you have to convince the smartest legal minds in the country that your version of the law is the right one.
Who is Sarah Harris?
Sarah Harris didn't just wake up one day and decide to lead the Office of the Solicitor General. She’s got a resume that would make most lawyers weep with envy. She was a partner at Williams & Connolly, one of those "white shoe" law firms where the stakes are always sky-high. She didn't just hide in an office doing research, either. Harris has argued multiple cases before the Supreme Court, including Carr v. Saul and Salinas v. Railroad Retirement Board.
And she won. Both of them.
Her background is a "who's who" of conservative legal circles. She clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas, which is a pretty big signal of where she stands intellectually. Before that, she clerked for Judge Laurence Silberman and Judge Sandra Lynch. She’s got a PhD from Cambridge and a JD from Harvard. Basically, she’s really, really smart.
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The 2025 Transition
When President Trump took office in January 2025, there was a gap. D. John Sauer was the pick for the permanent Solicitor General role, but the Senate confirmation process takes time. You can’t just leave the office empty while you wait for politicians to argue. So, the administration tapped Sarah Harris to fill the role in the interim.
From January 20, 2025, until Sauer was officially sworn in on April 4, 2025, Harris was the voice of the U.S. government. Think about that for a second. In those few months, she was responsible for deciding which cases the government would appeal and what legal theories they would put forward. It’s a massive amount of power for someone who isn't even a household name.
Why her role actually mattered
You might think an "acting" official is just a seat-warmer. That’s rarely true in the OSG. While she was at the helm, Harris didn't just keep the lights on; she started steering the ship. One of the biggest things she did involved a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the "for-cause" removal of regulatory commission members.
Basically, she signaled that the Department of Justice was ready to challenge long-standing precedents—like Humphrey's Executor—that limit the President's power to fire certain officials. That’s a huge deal. It’s the kind of legal move that could fundamentally change how the executive branch works. It wasn't just "business as usual." It was a bold statement of intent.
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A different path to the top
What’s kind of cool about Harris is that she didn't follow the "standard" path. She didn't do Law Review in law school. Instead, she was off getting a PhD and doing arbitration competitions. She’s mentioned in interviews that she didn't have a "master plan" to become a Supreme Court litigator.
She just liked the work.
What she’s doing now
After D. John Sauer took over as the 49th Solicitor General, Harris moved into the role of Principal Deputy Solicitor General. If the Solicitor General is the CEO of the government's legal team, the Principal Deputy is the COO. She’s the one in the trenches, making sure the briefs are perfect and the strategy is sound.
Honestly, even if she isn't the "top" person anymore, her influence is everywhere. When you read a government brief today, there’s a good chance her fingerprints are all over it. She’s someone who knows the "Thomas" wing of the court better than almost anyone, which makes her an incredibly valuable asset for this administration.
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The "Rising Star" that actually rose
Back in 2021, Law360 named her an Appellate Rising Star. Usually, those lists are hit or miss. But with Harris, they nailed it. She’s managed to bridge the gap between private practice success and high-level government service without breaking a sweat.
The legal world is often obsessed with "prestige," but Harris seems more obsessed with the actual mechanics of the law. She’s been quoted saying the "cardinal rule of appellate practice" is just "not being a jerk." That’s a pretty refreshing take in a world where everyone is trying to be the loudest person in the room.
The Takeaway: Why you should care
Sarah Harris represents a new generation of legal heavyweights. She’s highly academic, deeply experienced in the courtroom, and clearly trusted by the highest levels of the executive branch. Whether you agree with her legal philosophy or not, you have to respect the craft.
If you’re a law student, a policy wonk, or just someone who wants to understand why the Supreme Court is moving in a certain direction, keep an eye on her. Her career isn't slowing down. If anything, her time as Acting Solicitor General was just a preview of what's coming next.
Actionable insights for following her career:
- Watch the Dockets: Look for her name on briefs filed by the Office of the Solicitor General. The Principal Deputy often handles some of the most complex "under-the-radar" cases.
- Listen to Oral Arguments: When she argues (and she will), pay attention to how she interacts with the conservative justices. Her history as a Thomas clerk gives her a unique "insider" perspective on how they think.
- Read OLC Opinions: Since she spent time in the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) before, she often brings that deep understanding of executive power to her current work.
Sarah Harris is proving that you don't need a 20-year plan to end up at the top of the legal food chain—you just need to be the smartest, best-prepared person in the room.
To stay updated on the latest shifts in federal legal strategy, monitor the Department of Justice’s Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) website for newly filed petitions and briefs. Many of these documents, signed by Harris, outline the administration's long-term goals for constitutional law and executive authority.