Jeffrey Minear served as Counselor to the Chief Justice of the United States from 2006 to 2022, where he functioned as the Chief Justice’s chief of staff. In that role, he provided confidential advice, oversaw the general operation of the Court, and served as the Chief Justice’s principal liaison with the policy-making bodies within the Judiciary, including the Judicial Conference of the United States. He also acted as the Chief Justice’s point of contact with the White House, Congress, foreign judiciaries, and the Smithsonian Institution, where the Chief Justice serves as Chancellor. From 1985 to 2006, Mr. Minear served as Senior Litigation Counsel and Assistant to the Solicitor General, where he argued 56 cases before the Supreme Court. Although the subject matter of the cases he litigated spanned a wide variety of topics, he had a particular interest in cases involving environmental, interstate, and international disputes. His responsibilities included supervising the United States’ participation in all Supreme Court original actions, which typically involve inter-sovereign disputes over ownership of offshore natural resources, equitable apportionment of river systems, and the interpretation of interstate compacts. His prior experience included work as a trial attorney in the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Justice Department and as a petrochemical engineer for an international corporation. He is currently engaged as a member of an arbitration panel in an international dispute over water resources. Mr. Minear received a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Utah College of Engineering, a M.S. degree in Resource Policy and Management from the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources, and a J.D. degree from the University of Michigan Law School.
