Federal Government

ABA Prez Says FDIC Avoided ‘Catastrophic’ Results by Insuring IOLTA Accounts

ABA President H. Thomas Wells Jr. is applauding a decision by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to insure client funds deposited in Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts. Interest from the accounts helps fund legal services to the poor, providing the second-largest source of funding for such programs, according to a…

Nov 25, 2008 5:48 PM CST

No Well-Known Defendants on New Bush Pardon List

No high-profile defendants were among 14 people pardoned yesterday by President George W. Bush. Among those seeking pardons or sentence commutations are one-time junk bond king Michael Milken, former Hollinger chairman Conrad Black, Olympic sprinter Marion Jones, so-called American Taliban John Walker Lindh, former Congressman Randy Cunningham and former Louisiana…

Nov 25, 2008 11:55 AM CST

Despite ‘Momification’ - Michelle Obama’s White House Role May Be a Career Plus

Now that she is about to become First Lady, one might think from news coverage that Michelle Obama’s abilities as a mother and her fashion sense are her most noteworthy characteristics. But despite what some are calling the “momification” of Michelle Obama, whether her new role is a career plus…

Nov 24, 2008 6:48 PM CST

Ivy League JDs Proliferate in Obama ‘Achievatron’ Administration

Barack Obama is relying on a team of Ivy-League “overeducated Achievatrons” to advise him, including several with law degrees from Yale, according to an op-ed columnist. “This truly will be an administration that looks like America, or at least that slice of America that got double 800s on their SATs,”…

Nov 24, 2008 3:33 PM CST

High-Profile Lawyers Seek Pardons for Well-Known White-Collar Clients

As President Bush readies to leave office, well-connected lawyers are being hired to press for pardons for their convicted clients. Among the lawyers are former solicitor general Ted Olson, hired to represent former junk-bond king Michael Milken, the Washington Post reports. Milken pleaded guilty in 1990 to securities violations after…

Nov 24, 2008 2:11 PM CST

DA in Cheney-Gonzales Case Shouts at Judge, Who Seeks Higher-Court Backup

An unusual case in which a South Texas district attorney has obtained indictments of the vice president of the U.S., a former U.S. attorney general, two state court judges and a former federal prosecutor, among others, sparked new courtroom drama today. As Presiding Judge Manuel Banales sought to hold a…

Nov 22, 2008 12:01 AM CST

Obama Said to Favor Napolitano for Homeland Security Job

Another lawyer is expected to get the nod for a government post in the Obama administration. Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, a former U.S. attorney and state attorney general, is Barack Obama’s pick to be secretary of homeland security, sources told the Washington Post and New York Times. The ABA Journal…

Nov 20, 2008 1:11 PM CST

After Indicting Cheney & Ex-AG Gonzales, DA is No-Show in Court Today

A strange prisoner abuse case in South Texas involving indictments against Vice President Dick Cheney, former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, two state court judges and a former federal prosecutor got a bit more bizarre today when the district attorney who brought it was a no-show in court. Judge Manuel…

Nov 20, 2008 1:48 AM CST

What Lawyers Can Learn from Obama’s Victory

Barack Obama’s victory can teach lawyers some important lessons about change and the factors that cause it, according to the founder of an online collaboration service for lawyers. “Obama harnessed the forces of demographics, globalization, transparency and technology to what in hindsight looks like an inevitable victory,” writes Paul Lippe,…

Nov 19, 2008 1:26 PM CST

Vice President Cheney, Ex-AG Gonzales Indicted in South Texas Prison Abuse Case

A grand jury in South Texas has indicted Vice President Dick Cheney and former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales—as well as a former U.S. attorney and two state court judges—concerning their alleged contribution to claimed prisoner abuse at federal detention centers in Willacy County. “Gonzales is accused of using his…

Nov 19, 2008 12:12 AM CST

Report: Obama Picks D.C. Lawyer, Eric Holder, as AG; 1st Black in Post

President-elect Barack Obama reportedly has decided to tap Eric Holder, a veteran Washington, D.C., lawyer, as the country’s next attorney general. If so, he will be the first African-American to head the U.S. Department of Justice, according to a post written by Michael Isikoff in Newsweek magazine’s Powering Up blog.…

Nov 18, 2008 9:28 PM CST

New Jersey’s U.S. Attorney Resigns

New Jersey’s controversial U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie is resigning. The New Jersey Star-Ledger carried news of the resignation and said Christie is the leading contender for the Republican nomination for governor. He made a name for himself prosecuting public corruption, but he raised some eyebrows for awarding a no-bid contract…

Nov 17, 2008 5:31 PM CST

What’s a Lawyer Without a BlackBerry? President

Like many lawyers, Barack Obama relies on his BlackBerry to e-mail colleagues and friends, catch up on news or review work. But he may soon be forced to give up his electronic link to the outside world. The New York Times cites a couple reasons. First, are the fears that…

Nov 17, 2008 4:16 PM CST

Clinton Impeachment Lawyer Chosen for White House Counsel

The lawyer who led the defense of President Bill Clinton during impeachment hearings has been selected to be White House counsel in the Obama administration, according to two publications. The Washington Post and New York Times cite unnamed sources who say the appointment of Gregory Craig will be formally announced…

Nov 17, 2008 2:42 PM CST

Tax Prof Says Blog, ‘Saucy’ E-mails Would Nix Chances of White House Job

University of Cincinnati law professor Paul Caron says the disclosure requirements for Obama administration hopefuls are so onerous that bloggers and “saucy” e-mailers like himself would find it difficult to comply. Item 10 of the 63-item questionnaire requires Cabinet wannabes to provide a copy of all of their writings, including…

Nov 14, 2008 3:46 PM CST