After a routine Supreme Court argument on Wednesday, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. asked the lawyer who had represented the government to return to the lectern.
“You have just presented your 160th argument before this court, and I understand it is intended to be your last,” the chief justice told the lawyer, Edwin S. Kneedler, who is retiring as a deputy solicitor general. “That is the record for modern times.”
Chief Justice Roberts talked a little more, with affection and high praise, thanking Mr. Kneedler for his “extraordinary care and professionalism.”
Then something remarkable happened. Applause burst out in the courtroom, and that led to a standing ovation for Mr. Kneedler, with the justices joining, too.
“It was a rare moment of unanimity and spontaneous joy from all nine justices on the bench,” said Richard Lazarus, a law professor at Harvard. “They were all beaming.”
Kannon Shanmugam, a veteran Supreme Court lawyer, said it was “one of the most electric moments I’ve ever seen in the courtroom.”
The tribute to Mr. Kneedler’s candor and integrity came against the backdrop of a different kind of courtroom behavior. In the early months of the second Trump administration, its lawyers have been accused of gamesmanship, dishonesty and defiance, and have been fired for providing frank answers to judges.
Mr. Kneedler presented a different model, former colleagues said.
“Ed is the embodiment of the government lawyer ideal — one whose duty of candor to the court and interest in doing justice, not just winning a case, always carried the day,” said Gregory G. Garre, who served as solicitor general under President George W. Bush.
Mr. Shanmugam said Mr. Kneedler’s loyalty was to the rule of law. “He would much rather get the law right at the risk of losing,” Mr. Shanmugam said, “than win at the cost of misrepresenting the law.”
Seth P. Waxman, who was solicitor general in the Clinton administration, said Mr. Kneedler was the opposite of a partisan.
“In all the years that I worked with Ed in the Justice Department, I did not know his politics,” Mr. Waxman said.
Mr. Kneedler joined the Office of the Solicitor General, the elite unit of the Justice Department that represents the federal government in the Supreme Court, in 1979, served in many administrations and helped tutor the solicitors general who came and went.
“I was incredibly lucky to have Ed as a deputy when I was S.G.,” Justice Elena Kagan, who served as solicitor general in the Obama administration, said in a statement. “There’s pretty much no legal question he can’t answer. And he has a bone-deep understanding of the traditions and ethos of the S.G.’s office.”
She added: “I learned from him every day, and I did my job far better because he was there. In all the time I’ve spent in government, I’ve never known a finer public servant.”
That was something like a consensus view among former solicitors general. Mr. Waxman, for instance, called Mr. Kneedler “a national treasure.”
Noel J. Francisco, the solicitor general in the first Trump administration, said that Mr. Kneedler was “not just a font of knowledge, but of wisdom.”
Elizabeth B. Prelogar, the solicitor general in the Biden administration, said that “Ed Kneedler represents the very best of what it means to be a lawyer for the United States.”
Mr. Kneedler’s retirement is part of a wave of departures from the solicitor general’s office, which is quite small. After the solicitor general and a handful of deputies, there are just 16 line lawyers. About half of them are leaving, The Washington Post reported this month.
Mr. Kneedler, 79, did not respond to requests for an interview. When he received an award this month from the University of Virginia’s law school, his alma mater, he said he was “a career civil servant, not in the press if I can avoid it.”
At the ceremony, Mr. Kneedler gave extended remarks, making points that in another era might have seemed unremarkable. These days, they verged on provocative.
Calling himself a “citizen lawyer,” he praised the many federal employees he had worked with, saying he had been impressed by their “compassion and understanding for our country, and dedication to our country.”
He said his office analyzed legal issues with rigor and care, at least in cases on the court’s regular docket. Since Mr. Trump took office in January, the government has filed a torrent of emergency applications on what critics call the court’s shadow docket.
“When we don’t have emergencies like we have a number of now,” Mr. Kneedler said, “we have a very structured decision-making process.”
Leslie Kendrick, the Virginia law school’s dean, asked Mr. Kneedler a few questions, one of which was premised on his office’s “commitment to providing nonpartisan representation for the United States, regardless of cause, regardless of the political leadership of the other two branches.”
Mr. Kneedler did not quite adopt the premise. “We are lawyers for the United States,” he said, “and the administration in office is the ultimate determiner of what the interests of the United States are.”
But he ended his remarks on a hopeful note. “We’re all part of a process that is leading us to a more perfect union,” he said, “which means a union in which we are coming together, not apart.”
Before the standing ovation at the Supreme Court on Wednesday, Chief Justice Roberts, himself a veteran of the solicitor general’s office, added what he called a personal note as he spoke to Mr. Kneedler.
“I recall that on two occasions you and I argued on the same side here, me representing a private client and you the United States,” the chief justice said. “We lost each of those cases. I’m sure it was my fault. Mr. Kneedler, thank you for your outstanding service to court and country.”
Follow Mail Sport’s live blog for the round-by-round updates, followed by the scorecard as Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn finally meet inside the ring.
Who fancies some more cruiserweight action?
Up next, we’ve got Cheavon Clarke vs Viddal Riley for the British cruiserweight title, and Riley is already on his way to the ring.
Another well-matched contest.
The moment Billam-Smith and Glanton settled their differences
Eubank Jr set to fight through adversity tonight
Eubank Jr has had to deal with family tragedy in recent years after losing his brother in 2021.
His father, Chris Sr, also branded him a ‘disgrace’ last week for taking the fight with Benn and then slapping him with an egg.
But he is ready to go through the ‘pain’ to get victory in the biggest fight of his career.
Chris Billam-Smith wins!
Billam-Smith gets the nod by unanimous decision! The three judges score the bout 116-113, 116-112 and 116-112.
Fair scorecards there, and Billam-Smith is back to winning ways after a tough 12-rounder.
Both men bury the hatchet
There was some bad blood before this fight with Glanton saying he was going to give Billam-Smith ‘brain damage’.
The two men embrace at the final bell and hug it out. That’s good to see.
Round 12 – Billam-Smith finishes well
Billam-Smith grimaces as Glanton lands low but the referee lets the fight continue.
Billam-Smith knows he just needs to get through the last round and starts to move around more than he has done throughout the whole fight.
Glanton lands a good right hand to keep Billam-Smith honest but the Brit takes it well.
One final left hook from Billam-Smith and he has surely done enough to win this.
Round 11 – Billam-Smith closing in on victory
Signs of frustration from Glanton as he pushes Billam-Smith away.
Billam-Smith is breathing heavily but still finding the right punches when he needs them. Another right hook stops Glanton in his tracks.
We are going the distance, and Glanton surely needs a knockout to win.
Round 10 – Billam-Smith shows his class
Billam-Smith has just got a bit more in his arsenal and he is making Glanton miss for fun in this round.
Good variety from the Brit as he lands to the head and body with the right hook that has been his signature punch in this fight.
He must be ahead on the cards going into the last six minutes.
Round 9 – Signs of fatigue kicking in
Billam-Smith starting to look a little tired, but his right hand is still landing cleanly.
Glanton is pushing forwards but was not able to land too much of note in that round. Three big rounds to go.
More cruiserweights next
It will be Cheavon Clarke vs Viddal Riley for the British cruiserweight title next. Should be another cracker…
Round 8 – Both men land big
Glanton is still dangerous as he starts landing left hooks to the head. Billam-Smith has not quite got his uppercut spot on, but a left hook to the body finds the target. Beautiful shot.
Close round, with both men still not taking a backwards step.
Liam Smith arrives for crossroads fight later
Round 7 – Billam-Smith starting to take control
Glanton goes down again but claims another slip and the referee agrees. That was a borderline call. Glanton looks like Bambi on ice at times.
Billam-Smith is really fancying this now and he is the one landing the big shots as he starts bringing the uppercut into play.
Round 6 – Billam-Smith ramps up the pressure
Glanton touches down but it’s just a slip. Both men get right back to it and Glanton lands a good combination.
Back comes Billam-Smith with a right hook to the body and then the head. Glanton is slipping on the canvas, but he seems to be briefly rocked by another right hook.
Really good round for the Brit.
Round 5 – Billam-Smith lands big
Naughty from Glanton as he uses his head up close. He gets a warning from the referee as it was very obvious what he was doing there.
Billam-Smith lands three big right hands but Glanton takes them well.
Billam-Smith then lands another right hand in the final 30 seconds of the round, but Glanton fires back with a left hook. Another excellent round.
Round 4 – Billam-Smith looks to slow the pace
The cuffing right hook around the side of the gloves is working well for Billam-Smith as he catches Glanton cleanly.
Both men are showing they have great chins here as Glanton connects with a left hook on the ropes.
For the first time, Billam-Smith starts to use his movement a bit more as he takes a brief breather. His jab and more accurate power shots probably win him that round.
Round 3 – Glanton comes firing back
The heads come together early in the round and Billam-Smith has a small cut by his eye.
He is a tough, tough man though and doesn’t complain. Billam-Smith’s body work has been excellent but Glanton is starting to get into this more.
The American’s best round so far as he catches Billam-Smith with a hard right hook. This is a toe-to-toe war!
Round 2 – Billam-Smith really opening up
Some really classy work from Billam-Smith as he just takes small steps backwards and then fires home accurate shots that catch Glanton cleanly.
This is being fought at a ferocious pace. If it goes 12 rounds, both men will have really earned their money! Cracking fight so far.
Round 1 – Very lively start
It’s a small 18ft ring tonight, but that doesn’t mattere here. This could be fought in a phone booth!
Both men getting in close and trying to land short-sharp shots. Billam-Smith just edges it as he lands multiple left hooks, but both men have been forced to take good shots already.
We are underway!
The first bell rings.. here we go!
Billam-Smith is locked in
Billam-Smith makes his way to the ring and he looks ready for a tear-up. You wouldn’t expect anything less from the cruiserweight.
But has he still got it after losing his last fight?
Here comes Glanton
The first fighter of the night makes his way to the ring, and it’s Billam-Smith’s opponent, Brandon Glanton.
He made some strong remarks in the build-up this week. Can he now deliver in the ring?
Can Billam-Smith bounce back from going down ‘mental rabbit hole’?
Billa-Smith suffered just the second loss of his career last time out. Will he get back to winning ways tonight after speaking so honestly to Mail Sport about his struggles?
Eubank Jr’s former trainer hails ‘ferocious’ fighter
Adam Booth has previously been in Eubank Jr’s corner, but tonight he is on Sky Sport’s punditry team.
He has been speaking about the ‘ferocious’ style that Eubank Jr brings to the ring.
Benn hits out at rival over missing weight
Eubank Jr put out videos of his brutal weight cut on social media yesterday, but after coming in 0.05lbs over the middleweight limit, he received no sympathy from Benn.
Could Eubank Jr’s failed weight cut prove pivotal?
Former world champion Johnny Nelson has given his verdict on tonight’s fight for Mail Sport, and he feels Eubank Jr missing the weight yesterday could have a major influence on the final result.
Inside Conor Benn’s training camp
Mail Sport got special access to Conor Benn’s training camp as he prepares to fight at middleweight for the first time against his arch-rival…
Billam-Smith’s opponent sends chilling warning
We had a rather unsavoury moment at Thursday’s final press conference when America’s Brandon Glanton threatened to give Billam-Smith ‘brain damage’ in their fight.
Billam-Smith vowed to do his talking in the ring, and will get the chance to make his opponent eat his words very soon.
Billam-Smith ready to steal the show
Tonight is a big one for Chris Billam-Smith as he looks to bounce back from losing his world title to Gilberto Ramirez in November.
He will be first up in the next 20 minutes or so.
Who is Liam Smith picking to win tonight’s main event?
Smith has been in the ring twice with Eubank Jr, beating him once before losing the rematch.
He has given his verdict on who will win tonight’s main event…
Boxing’s most bitter fight night
There is so much animosity heading into tonight’s fight, and it all started 35 years ago when Chris Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn first fought.
Here is the story of how the family feud has been reignited in recent years…
Eubank Jr meets former foe after near-fatal fight
Eubank Jr was reunited with his former opponent Nick Blackwell at yesterday’s weigh-in.
The two fought in 2016, with Eubank Jr prevailing by knockout before Blackwell was placed into a medically-induced coma.
Thankfully, Blackwell has made a recovery, and it was a touching moment to see him and Eubank Jr together yesterday.
A star-studded ringside audience
A number of stars are coming out to watch the domestic dust-up tonight including Maya Jama, Idris Elba and even Ollie Watkins. He’s playing an FA Cup semi-final in half an hour, but then looks set to hot-foot it from Wembley!
Tonight’s running order
We will have four fights before the main event tonight.
Former world champions Chris Billam-Smith and Liam Smith will be in action, while we will have a trilogy fight between British light-heavyweights Anthony Yarde and Lyndon Arthur.
The calm before the storm
The action will be getting underway shortly after 5pm, with around 70,000 fans expected to be at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tonight.
More chaos ahead of grudge match
A fresh row broke out between the two camps yesterday as they argued over the gloves that will be worn tonight.
Let’s hope that’s all sorted now.
Eubank Jr’s expensive weight miss
Chris Eubank Jr missed weight by 0.05lbs yesterday, and will now pay a $500,000 (£375,000) fine.
However, he did meet the rehydration clause this morning, avoiding another expensive financial punishment.
Good afternoon!
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of tonight’s grudge match between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn.
The fight was first scheduled to happen 30 months ago, but was cancelled in fight week after Benn failed two drugs tests.
Now, the two men will finally settle their differences inside the ring.
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Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn Live: Start time, undercard, scorecard and round-by-round updates as bitter rivals FINALLY meet inside the ring
