Previously he had been senior litigation counsel and assistant to the Solicitor General, Department of Justice (DOJ).
Minear then joined the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, where he worked on policy, legislative, and appellate matters from 1983 to 1985.
From 1985 to 1998, he was assistant to the Solicitor General at the Department of Justice, responsible for Supreme Court and appellate litigation focusing on civil, environmental, and intellectual property issues.
He is currently an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center, where he teaches a seminar on the history and role of the Office of the Solicitor General.
Minear retired from his role as counselor in September 2022, and was replaced by Robert Michael Dow Jr.[1][2]