SCOTUS NEWS
Roberts appoints federal district judge from Illinois as his new counselor
on Oct 3, 2022 at 4:55 pm
Chief Justice John Roberts appointed Judge Robert Dow Jr. to take over from his long-time aide, Jeffrey Minear, as counselor to the chief justice, the court announced on Monday. Minear retired last month, after 16 years at the court.
Since 2007, Dow has served as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Before becoming a judge, he was a partner at Mayer Brown LLP and a member of the firm’s appellate and Supreme Court practice group as well as its telecommunications practice group.
The responsibilities of the counselor are broad, much like a chief of staff. Dow will help Roberts oversee the administration of the court and the federal judiciary, serve as a liaison to other branches of government and courts, and act as chancellor of the Smithsonian Institution.
Like most at the court these days, though unlike his predecessor, Dow received both his bachelor’s and law degrees from the Ivy league, having attended Yale and Harvard respectively. A Rhodes Scholar, he also received master’s and doctorate degrees in international relations from the University of Oxford.
Dow will assume his role as counselor on Dec. 5.
