Henry C. Whitaker
Henry Charles Whitaker is an American legal scholar who served as the Solicitor General of Florida from 2021 to 2025. 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. Donald Trump appointed him in January 2025 as acting head of the Office of Legal Counsel.
Early life and education
Henry Charles Whitaker was born in Falls Church, Virginia.In 2000 he graduated from Yale University 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.
Career
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.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 General, 2021-2024
Whitaker was appointed as Florida Solicitor General by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody in July 2021. He was admitted to the Florida Bar on September 22, 2021.As Florida Solicitor General, Whitaker oversaw 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 Appeals, the Florida Supreme Court, the First District Court of Appeal, several Judicial Circuits, and United States Supreme Court.