The Supreme Court’s chief justice has appointed a new chief of staff.
Justice John Roberts, 67, chose U.S. District Judge Robert Dow Jr., 57, for the position, the Supreme Court said in a statement.
Roberts and Dow were both appointed to their current positions by former President George W. Bush.
Dow will become Roberts’ chief of staff, also known as a counselor. Under federal law, a counselor performs “such duties as may be assigned to him by the Chief Justice.”
Those duties include assisting court officers with policies, helping with judicial administration, and liaising with the executive and legislative branches. Other duties include helping represent Roberts in communications with judicial organizations and foreign courts and supporting Roberts in the chief justice’s non-judicial responsibilities, such as in his role as chancellor of the Smithsonian Institution….