Early life and education

Kneedler attended North Penn High School; he graduated in 1963. Kneedler earned a bachelor's degree in economics in 1967 from Lehigh University

Lehigh University

Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...

. He then earned a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law

University of Virginia School of Law

The University of Virginia School of Law was founded in Charlottesville in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson as one of the original subjects taught at his "academical village," the University of Virginia. The law school maintains an enrollment of approximately 1,100 students in its initial degree program...

 in 1974. From 1974 until 1975, he clerked for Judge James R. Browning on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...

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Kneedler was admitted to the bar of the state of Oregon in 1975.

Professional career

In October 1975, Kneedler joined the Office of Legal Counsel

Office of Legal Counsel

The Office of Legal Counsel is an office in the United States Department of Justice that assists the Attorney General in his function as legal adviser to the President and all executive branch agencies.-History:...

 in the United States Department of Justice

United States Department of Justice

The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...

. He then joined the office of the Solicitor General

United States Solicitor General

The United States Solicitor General is the person appointed to represent the federal government of the United States before the Supreme Court of the United States. The current Solicitor General, Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 6, 2011 and sworn in on June...

 in June 1979. He was appointed a Deputy Solicitor General in 1993. On March 17, 2008, he argued his 100th case before the Supreme Court.

Kneedler became Acting Solicitor General on January 20, 2009, with the expiration of the presidential term of George W. Bush

George W. Bush

George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

. Kneedler was appointed by Bush on January 16, 2009 to replace Gregory G. Garre

Gregory G. Garre

Gregory G. Garre is a former United States Solicitor General serving between June 19, 2008 to January 20, 2009. He spent his early life in his hometown of Barrington, Illinois. He received his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College in 1987 and his law degree from George Washington University...

, whose term as Solicitor General concluded on January 16, 2009. Kneedler's tenure as Acting United States Solicitor General ended on March 19, 2009, with the confirmation of Elena Kagan

Elena Kagan

Elena Kagan is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving since August 7, 2010. Kagan is the Court's 112th justice and fourth female justice....

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Kneedler has argued more than 100 cases before the United States Supreme Court

Supreme Court of the United States

The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...

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