Ted Cruz Heads to Morgan Lewis

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius has just announced that Texas Solicitor General R. Ted Cruz will be joining the firm as a partner on May 12, working out of both its Houston and D.C. offices. It's a significant coup for Morgan Lewis and signals the firm's push into the rarified field of Supreme Court and national appellate practice.

As Texas' SG for five years, Cruz has been the state's top appellate litigator, a job he's used aggressively to get the views of states — his and others — before the high court. The former Rehnquist law clerk and son of a Cuban immigrant also worked in the Bush administration. He has become an increasingly confident and respected advocate before the high court, winning the international treaty case of Medellin v. Texas in March and arguing just last month in Kennedy v. Louisiana on behalf of states that want to be able to execute non-homicide child rapists.

You'll be able to see Cruz and hear his views on the Supreme Court on July 9 at the annual Legal Times review of the current Supreme Court term. Cruz has agreed to be on the panel, which will also include former acting U.S. solicitor general Walter Dellinger and others who have argued before the Court this term. More details on the event in coming days.