John Roberts has enjoyed a distinguished career in government service, private practice and, most recently, as a federal judge. He is a graduate, summa cum laude, of Harvard College and also Harvard Law School (magna cum laude). After law school, he clerked for Judge Henry Friendly on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and then-Associate Justice William Rehnquist on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Roberts has had a distinguished career as a public servant. He served in several positions in the Reagan administration, including Associate White House Counsel. He also served, from 1989-93, as the Principal Deputy Solicitor General, the government’s second highest ranking lawyer before the U.S. Supreme Court.
After leaving government, Roberts became known as one of the top Supreme Court advocates in the country as a partner at Hogan & Hartson in D.C. In his government and private career, he has argued 39 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, and has been described in the media as “one of
finest practitioners,” (Mauro, American Lawyer, Sept. 1, 2004), “one of the top appellate lawyers of his generation,” (Groner, Legal Times, Feb. 3, 2003), and “viewed by many as the best Supreme Court advocate in private law firm practice,” (Legal Times, Oct. 30, 2000).
To the extent his record as an advocate can tell anything about Roberts, his arguments often speak to judicial restraint. He co-authored the government’s successful brief in Lujan v. Defenders of Wildlife, which re-invigorated the doctrine of standing to sue in Article III Courts. At the same time, he has represented criminal defendants, environmental interests, and the State of Hawaii in a dispute over legislation favoring Native Hawaiians as a group.
More: http://www.swingstateproject.com/2005/07/gop_talking_poi.php