Law as Public Service

• Pages: 18-20
• Date: 01 March 2026
• Published date: 01 March 2026
• Author: Edwin Kneedler
• Subject Matter: Derecho Público y Administrativo

COMMENTS

56 ELR 10102 ENVIRONMENTAL LAW REPORTER MAR/APR 2026

On October 7, 2025, the Environmental Law Insti-

tute recognized recently retired U.S. Deputy

Solicitor General Edwin Kneedler for his long

career and lifetime contributions to the development of

environmental, natural resources, and Indian law juris-

prudence. Mr. Kneed ler, who holds the re cord for most

arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in the modern

era, oered his insights on the eld and the importa nt role

of lawyers as public servants. Below, we present a lightly

edited transcript of ELI President Jordan Diamond’s intro-

duction and Mr. Kneedler’s remarks.

Jordan Dia mond: Edwin K needler joined the U.S.

Department of Justice (DOJ) in 1975 and moved to the

oce of the Solicitor General just four years later. He

became Deputy Solicitor General in 1993, and remained in

that position until he retired in 2025. His career spanned

10 presidential administrations and three Chief Justices.

As he presented his 160th and nal arg ument before the

Supreme Court last year, he received a standing ovation as

he set a record for the most cases argued before the Court

in modern times.

Edwin defended the government and the public interest

as powerfully under Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush,

George W. Bush, and Donald Trump as he did under Bill

Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden. e interests of

the United States and the federal government were always

paramount in his mind, in his legal advocacy, and in his

shaping of the law. His unparalleled reputation is that of

a true public servant known for integrity and quiet excel-

lence in furtherance of ca ndor to the Court and always

committing to justice. He did this with humility.

e recognition that Ed has garnered upon his retire-

ment is the type of personal credit he is renowned for

eschewing throughout his career, preferring to highlight

the many other public servants he worked with who pro-

vided subject matter expertise and more. is is at t he

core of why his former DOJ colleagues—lawyers in the

Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENR D),

the Civil Division, the Civil Rights Division, the Oce

of Legal Counsel, the Oce of Tribal Justice, and so on—

looked up to Ed as not just a erce and powerful Supreme

Court advocate, but as a model for what it means to uphold

the rule of law, as a mentor, and as a friend.

Today, I want to highlight how profound Ed’s impact

has been on environmental, natural resou rces, energy, pub-

lic lands, takings, and Indian law. Of his 160 Supreme

Court arguments, at least 45 are related to one of these

elds. Far beyond the Court, Ed al so oversaw thousands of

ENRD appeal recommendations in the circuit courts and

helped resolve countles s interagency disputes.

From endangered species to water resources, from stand-

ing and ripeness to takin gs and environmental review, Ed’s

ngerprints are woven throughout the practice of environ-

mental law: energy law, the Natural Gas Act, the Com-

merce Clause, navigable waters, interstate water disputes,

interpreting the Administrative Procedure Act, the Taylor

Grazing Act of 1934, the Indian Child Welfare Act, ter-

ritorial boundaries of tribal lands, National Park Service

Authority, and on and on. e list is long and detailed, but

the takeaway is simple and strik ing: for nearly half a cen-

tury, Ed Kneedler has helped shape t his area of law, and he

did it without alignment to any constituency except a deep

commitment to the holistic interests of the United States.

In his recent acceptance speech for the omas Jeer-

son Foundation Medal in Law1 from his alma mater the

University of Virginia, Ed’s message to the next generation

of lawyers reected his commitment to the rule of law and

the holistic viewpoint he’s so well known for: “We’re all in

this together even though we may be on the opposite side

of the case. We’re all part of a process that is leading us to a

more perfect union which means a union in which we are

coming together. Not apart.”

I can’t imagine a more meaningful sentiment today. So,

it is with admiration and gratitude that I would a sk you to

join me in recognizing and celebrating former U.S. Deputy

Solicitor Genera l Edwin Kneedler’s profound impact on

environmental, natural resources, and Indian law, and for

embodying the seless, disciplined, and powerful role of a

true public servant.

Edwin K needler: ank you, Jordan, for those very kind

remarks. It’s such a pleasure to be here. ank you for

inviting me to this meeting and the worthy work that you

are doing every day throughout the years. It’s a real honor

and privilege to be recognized by the Environmental Law

Institute for the work I’ve done, in areas of great interest to

you and great passion and interest for me. It’s particularly

wonderful to be honored by an organization that has con-

tributed so much to the development of environmental law

and environmental lawyers over the years.

ELI has played an instr umental role in various aspects of

the development of environmental law, in education, and

1. For details and a list of past recipients, see omas Jeerson Founda-

tion Medals, Medal in Law Recipients, https://www.monticello.org/

thomas-jeerson-foundation-medals.

LAW AS PUBLIC SERVICE

by Edwin Kneedler

Edwin Kneedler is a former Deputy Solicitor General of the United States.

Copyright © 2026 Environmental Law Institute®, Washington, DC. Reprinted with permission from ELR®, https://www.eli.org