In a press release Monday evening, President Barack Obama announced his intention to appoint two Yalies — Donald Virrilli Jr. ’79 and Davis S. Cohen LAW ’89 — to key administrative positions. Virrilli is being nominated to be the Solicitor General of the United States, while Cohen is being nominated to be the Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Crimes.

Virrilli, a graduate of Yale College, went on to Columbia University to get his law degree, where he served as editor-in-chief of the Columbia Law Review. During his career, Virrilli has served as a litigator for 20 years in a Washington D.C. based firm, Jenner and Block, where he primarily worked on First Amendment, telecommunications, intellectual property, and pro bono cases. Virrilli spent over 15 years at George University Law Center as an adjunct professor, focusing on First Amendment issues. Currently Virrilli is serving as a Deputy Counsel to Obama.

Cohen, a graduate of Yale Law, got his undergraduate degree from Cornell University. Although he currently serves as the Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing in the Department of Treasury, Cohen previously worked as a partner at the law firm WilmerHale, where he focused on civil litigation, white collar criminal defense, internal investigations, and anti money laundering counseling.

“I am grateful these accomplished individuals have agreed to continue their service to the nation, and I’m confident they will serve ably in these important roles,” Obama said in the release. “I look forward to working with them in the coming months and years.”