Henry C. Whitaker

Henry Charles Whitaker (born April 29, 1978) is an American legal scholar who has served as the Solicitor General of Florida since 2021. Previously he was the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel at the U.S. Department of Justice in the District of Columbia.

Education
Whitaker graduated from Yale University in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude. He then attended Harvard Law School, where he received a Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, in 2003. Whitaker clerked for Judge David B. Sentelle of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and Justice Clarence Thomas of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Lawyer
Prior to his Florida appointment, he was the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel at the U.S. Department of Justice. In that position, he advised the White House Counsel and cabinet secretaries regarding constitutional and statutory questions. Following his clerkships, he served on the Appellate Staff of the Civil Division of the DOJ where he argued more than 40 federal court appeals. He is a contributor to and member of the Federalist Society.

Solicitor
Whitaker was appointed as Florida Solicitor General by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody in July, 2021. He was admitted to the Florida Bar (ID #1031175) on September 22, 2021. As Florida Solicitor General, Whitaker oversees civil appeals involving the state's interests in all state and federal appellate courts. He also serves as the Richard Ervin Visiting Professor in the Florida State University College of Law where he teaches. His $165,000 salary was split between the state and FSU.

While Solicitor General, Whitaker argued cases before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeal, the Florida Supreme Court, the First District Court of Appeal, several Judicial Circuits, and United States Supreme Court.