INDIANAPOLIS – Attorney General Todd Rokita recently announced the selection of “constitutional stalwart” James Barta as solicitor general, a public-facing role that routinely represents the office in court and handles litigation involving constitutional challenges.
He previously worked as Indiana’s deputy solicitor general.
“After a national search, we selected a Hoosier with top credentials and national experience to fill this important role. I know James Barta is the right choice for Indiana,” Rokita said in a statement.
Barta succeeds Thomas Fisher, the state’s first-ever solicitor general, who left the agency in August to join the private sector.
Barta has litigated before both the U.S. Supreme Court and the Indiana Supreme Court as well as lower federal and state courts. He previously clerked for Judge Stephen J. Murphy III, of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan as well as Judge Raymond M. Kethledge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Court.
Previous case topics Barta argued for include checks on presidential appointment power and reducing the power of the Clean Water Act when it came to coal ash.
“I am incredibly grateful and humbled by this opportunity to serve my state and my fellow Hoosiers,” Barta said in a release. “It is a privilege to serve in this new role.”
