DOCSLIB.ORG

Washingtonian December 2007.Pdf

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Washingtonian December 2007.Pdf WASHINGTONIANDecember 2007 washingtonian.com Big Guns Washington lawyers may tend to dress alike, but they’re not all the same when dealing with problems. Here are 30 of the very best—plus 800 more who are close behind. Hang on to the list—when you really need a lawyer, you might want one of these. By Kim Isaac Eisler Some of those on our list of Washington’s legal trouble can happen to anyone— waiting room or the attorney tends to top lawyers have represented presidents. and often does without warning. Lots of ramble, it could get very expensive. Others have defended murderers and Washingtonians are arrested on criminal thieves. Some might have represented charges, from drunk driving to vehicular I have spent much of the past 20 years —or might yet represent—you. homicide. You might be called to testify writing about Washington lawyers. I have If the United States is a nation of laws, before Congress. More common is a met, spoken to, and observed thousands Washington is a city of lawyers: There letter from the IRS—or from an attorney of them. I’ve become friends with a few. are more here per capita than in any representing a departing spouse. You can This is the fifth time that The other city in the world. There are more slip and fall on an unshoveled sidewalk— Washingtonian has compiled a list of here than in many entire countries. or someone can fall on yours. top lawyers. It is created primarily by This list of top lawyers in private practice One thing you’ll discover if you need peer recommendation. We asked, by Sskews toward those who represent one of these lawyers: They don’t come telephone and e-mail, some 1,000 people as opposed to corporations. It cheap. For a good criminal-defense attorneys who (excluding themselves excludes some important but technical lawyer, the floor is close to $400 an hour. and members of their firms) the top fields of law. But some areas of corporate Rates for the top attorneys reach $1,000 practitioners in their fields are and whom and constitutional law are so bound up an hour. Most lawyers bill in six-minute they would hire to represent them with our city that we couldn’t ignore increments, meaning a one-minute call in a range of areas. Then we checked them. That includes lawyers who counts as six minutes—a tenth of an hour. on those people and asked for their practice before the Supreme Court, the So if you call a lawyer for a quick question, recommendations. We invited them to Securities and Exchange Commission, try to get six minutes’ worth of advice. take shots at one another; many availed and federal agencies like the Food and Divorce lawyers’ fees are the hardest to themselves of the opportunity. One Drug Administration and the Federal gauge. Some charge more but work fast. wrote that a colleague “should not be Communications Commission. Others are relative dawdlers but charge included on any list of best lawyers. No Most people get through life without lower rates. A common number here is knowledgeable client would or should having to hire an attorney for anything $450 an hour. Try to find a busy divorce retain this individual.” more serious than drawing up a will or lawyer. A busy lawyer wants to get on to In some areas, such as securities law, overseeing a real-estate transaction. But the next case. If you walk into an empty there is virtual unanimity about who the DECEMBER 2007 | WASHINGTONIAN | 1 best are. In a contentious field like divorce, Olson has always pushed more forcefully University, has positioned himself to it gets hard after the top guy, Sandy Ain. for the advancement of protégés such make the most of it. Most recently In such cases we talked to clients, judges, as controversial federal-court nominee the unflamboyant Martin was hired to and former judges to get their opinions. Miguel Estrada. He is a top adviser to defend Atlanta Falcons quarterback In the end we came up with some Republican presidential candidate Rudy Michael Vick on federal and state 800 attorneys—about 1 percent of Giuliani. charges relating to illegal dogfighting. the estimated 80,000 lawyers around Olson turned 61 on September 11, Politicians occasionally need big-time Washington. Among those, we identified 2001—the day his first wife, Barbara, help, too. Idaho senator Larry Craig has 30 to single out as the very best. Such died aboard the American Airlines plane hired Martin to find a way to expunge choices involve arbitrary decisions and that terrorists crashed into the Pentagon. his guilty plea in the famous foot-tapping subjective judgments. We tried to pick He remarried last year. incident at the Minneapolis airport. A people from across the region, from 2. Brendan V. Sullivan Jr. (Williams judge ruled against Craig earlier this different practice groups, and from & Connolly). He may be Washington’s year, but the legal battles for both Craig different law firms so no firm would most famous lawyer because of his and Vick continue. ➝ have more than two on the top-30 list. televised assertion during the Iran- 5. Maureen E. Mahoney (Latham In some cases, up-and-comers replaced Contra hearings that he was not a & Watkins). The preeminent female veterans who had been on the list for potted plant. But his reputation is such litigator at the US Supreme Court, this many years—not because the older that New York Stock Exchange chair former clerk for Justice William Rehnquist lawyers aren’t good at what they do but Dick Grasso bypassed the entire New has argued 18 cases at the high court, to recognize newer talent. York bar to secure Sullivan’s services in winning 16 of them. The 53-year-old Four times in the past we have chosen his defense. daughter of an Indiana personal-injury Washington’s number-one lawyer. For decades Sullivan has prided himself attorney, Mahoney is fast on her feet, a Previous winners are Robert Bennett on the claim that no client of his had quick study of arcane issues, and fiercely of Skadden Arps, Brendan Sullivan of served jail time. He suffered a rare loss last determined. Williams & Connolly, Michele Roberts year when Cendant Corporation CEO She is on most short lists to serve on of Akin Gump, and Robert Barnett of Walter Forbes was convicted of fraud by the Supreme Court herself one day. In Williams & Connolly. a Connecticut jury; Forbes is serving a the meantime, it doesn’t hurt that the Senate majority leader Harry Reid 12-year sentence. It took prosecutors good friend who succeeded her as a says this year’s winner couldn’t win three trials—the first two ended in hung clerk in Rehnquist’s chambers is now confirmation as US attorney general. That juries—to beat Sullivan. No lawyer can the Chief Justice of the United States. might keep him from being the nation’s win every case, and Sullivan’s now been 6. Seth P. Waxman (WilmerHale). top lawyer, but he is Washington’s top at it for 38 years. At 65, he remains, in Waxman, who was solicitor general lawyer. the minds of prosecutors, the most feared during the Clinton administration, courtroom opponent in the nation. may be Washington’s busiest attorney. 1. Theodore B. Olson (Gibson, Dunn 3. Sanford K. “Sandy” Ain (Ain & He has argued landmark decisions on & Crutcher). Long known as one of the Bank). For most legal specialties you can everything from campaign advertising nation’s top constitutional lawyers, this have a spirited argument about which of to patent disputes. He has found time to native Californian made the winning four or five lawyers might be the best. But represent a developer trying to get slot argument in the landmark case of Bush among divorce lawyers, Sandy Ain is alone licenses for a casino in Pittsburgh, argued v. Gore, which put President Bush in the at the top. When Law & Order star S. a federal-circuit case worth hundreds White House. Olson’s resonant baritone Epatha Merkerson thanked him during a of millions to his client TiVo, and is voice matches his wit and reason. Because nationally televised awards ceremony, Ain handling the appeals of six Bosnians he arrived in Washington with Ronald was embarrassed. He takes pride in not imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay, five Reagan, Olson is perceived in some circles having people know what he is doing. accountants accused of fraud, and a high- as a spokesman for the right, a view held Ain disdains the acrimonious aspects of tech company claiming that eBay stole its by few who actually know him. divorce and laments the loss of civility in ideas. Whew! His clients have included such modern society. He would rather divide Waxman, no relation to Congressman Democrats as former senator Chuck assets than assign blame for a failed Henry Waxman, may be trying to Robb and Congresswoman Jane Harman. marriage. Many millionaire divorces, like stockpile cash before the Democrats When Time’s Matt Cooper was ordered that of Danaher Corporation’s Steven regain the White House. He is considered to turn over his notes in the Scooter Rales, end up in his hands. He did such a front-runner for the first Supreme Libby investigation, it was Olson who a good job for billionaire Sheila Johnson, Court vacancy should Hillary Clinton filed Cooper’s appeal to the US Supreme ex-wife of BET founder Robert Johnson, win the White House, a job that would Court.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Fewer Hands, More Mercy: a Plea for a Better Federal Clemency System
    FEWER HANDS, MORE MERCY: A PLEA FOR A BETTER FEDERAL CLEMENCY SYSTEM Mark Osler*† INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 465 I. A SWAMP OF UNNECESSARY PROCESS .................................................. 470 A. From Simplicity to Complexity ....................................................... 470 B. The Clemency System Today .......................................................... 477 1. The Basic Process ......................................................................... 477 a. The Pardon Attorney’s Staff ..................................................... 478 b. The Pardon Attorney ................................................................ 479 c. The Staff of the Deputy Attorney General ................................. 481 d. The Deputy Attorney General ................................................... 481 e. The White House Counsel Staff ................................................ 483 f. The White House Counsel ......................................................... 484 g. The President ............................................................................ 484 2. Clemency Project 2014 ................................................................ 485 C. The Effect of a Bias in Favor of Negative Decisions ...................... 489 II. BETTER EXAMPLES: STATE AND FEDERAL .......................................... 491 A. State Systems ................................................................................... 491 1. A Diversity
    [Show full text]
  • Hillary Clinton's Campaign Was Undone by a Clash of Personalities
    64 Hillary Clinton’s campaign was undone by a clash of personalities more toxic than anyone imagined. E-mails and memos— published here for the first time—reveal the backstabbing and conflicting strategies that produced an epic meltdown. BY JOSHUA GREEN The Front-Runner’s Fall or all that has been written and said about Hillary Clin- e-mail feuds was handed over. (See for yourself: much of it is ton’s epic collapse in the Democratic primaries, one posted online at www.theatlantic.com/clinton.) Fissue still nags. Everybody knows what happened. But Two things struck me right away. The first was that, outward we still don’t have a clear picture of how it happened, or why. appearances notwithstanding, the campaign prepared a clear The after-battle assessments in the major newspapers and strategy and did considerable planning. It sweated the large newsweeklies generally agreed on the big picture: the cam- themes (Clinton’s late-in-the-game emergence as a blue-collar paign was not prepared for a lengthy fight; it had an insuf- champion had been the idea all along) and the small details ficient delegate operation; it squandered vast sums of money; (campaign staffers in Portland, Oregon, kept tabs on Monica and the candidate herself evinced a paralyzing schizophrenia— Lewinsky, who lived there, to avoid any surprise encounters). one day a shots-’n’-beers brawler, the next a Hallmark Channel The second was the thought: Wow, it was even worse than I’d mom. Through it all, her staff feuded and bickered, while her imagined! The anger and toxic obsessions overwhelmed even husband distracted.
    [Show full text]
  • Bruce Ackerman
    BOOK REVIEW CONSTITUTIONAL ALARMISM THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC. By Bruce Ackerman. Cambridge, Mass.: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. 2010. Pp. 270. $25.95. Reviewed by Trevor W. Morrison∗ INTRODUCTION The Decline and Fall of the American Republic is a call to action. Professor Bruce Ackerman opens the book with the claim that “some- thing is seriously wrong — very seriously wrong — with the tradition of government that we have inherited” (p. 3). The problem, he says, is the modern American presidency, which he portrays as recently trans- formed into “an especially dangerous office” (p. 189 n.1) posing “a se- rious threat to our constitutional tradition” (p. 4). Ackerman urges us to confront this “potential for catastrophic decline — and act before it is too late” (p. 11). Concerns of this kind are not new. Indeed, in some respects De- cline and Fall reads as a sequel to Professor Arthur Schlesinger’s 1973 classic, The Imperial Presidency.1 Ackerman writes consciously in that tradition, but with a sense of renewed urgency driven by a convic- tion that “the presidency has become far more dangerous today” than in Schlesinger’s time (p. 188). The sources and mechanisms of that purported danger are numerous; Decline and Fall sweeps across jour- nalism, national opinion polls, the Electoral College, civilian-military relations, presidential control of the bureaucracy, and executive branch lawyering to contend that “the foundations of our own republic are eroding before our very eyes” (p. 188). ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ∗ Professor of Law, Columbia University. For helpful comments on earlier drafts, I thank Akhil Amar, David Barron, Ariela Dubler, Jack Goldsmith, Marty Lederman, Peter Margulies, Gillian Metzger, Henry Monaghan, Rick Pildes, Jeff Powell, John Witt, and participants in faculty workshops at Vanderbilt University and the University of Washington.
    [Show full text]
  • Election Day Arrives!
    T H U R S D A Y 162nd YEAR • No. 83 AUGUST 4, 2016 CLEVELAND, TN 18 PAGES • 50¢ Election day arrives! Polls close at 8 tonight; large turnout expected due to contested local races By ALLEN MINCEY have been checked, and election workers trained, for Banner Staff Writer today. The last training session was held on Tuesday of this week at the Bradley County Courthouse. Polls will be open until 8 o’clock tonight for what offi- Early voting results had 5,531 cast ballots, which cials say could be a close election in several races. Green said was more than in 2008, which was the most Voting began early today at 8 a.m. at 17 precincts comparable election to this year. She added she hopes across the city of Cleveland and Bradley County. Those today’s results will put the total number of voters over precincts are: McDonald, Prospect, Hopewell, E.L. Ross, 10,000. Walker Valley, Lee University, Senior Center, Oak Grove, Several local races led to those early voting numbers Michigan Avenue, Blythe-Bower, the Museum Center at and could attract an equally large number of voters Five Points, Valley View, Blue Springs, Waterville, Black today. Banner photo, DONNA KAYLOR Fox, Stuart, and Cleveland High School. The polling site Stanley Thompson is the only candidate who qualified POLLING LOCATIONS opened today at 8 a.m. and will close at 8 this evening. at the museum is for those who have normally voted at for the Assessor of Property race in the Bradley County Blythe Avenue Elementary School.
    [Show full text]
  • Legal Dilemmas Facing White House Counsel in the Trump Administration: the Costs of Public Disclosure of FISA Requests
    Fordham Law Review Volume 87 Issue 5 Article 6 2019 Legal Dilemmas Facing White House Counsel in the Trump Administration: The Costs of Public Disclosure of FISA Requests Peter Margulies Roger Williams University School of Law Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/flr Part of the Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Commons Recommended Citation Peter Margulies, Legal Dilemmas Facing White House Counsel in the Trump Administration: The Costs of Public Disclosure of FISA Requests, 87 Fordham L. Rev. 1913 (2019). Available at: https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/flr/vol87/iss5/6 This Colloquium is brought to you for free and open access by FLASH: The Fordham Law Archive of Scholarship and History. It has been accepted for inclusion in Fordham Law Review by an authorized editor of FLASH: The Fordham Law Archive of Scholarship and History. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LEGAL DILEMMAS FACING WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL IN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION: THE COSTS OF PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF FISA REQUESTS Peter Margulies* INTRODUCTION Not every presidential administration can forge a new brand of government lawyering. Historically, government lawyering has swung between two poles: (1) dialogic lawyering, which stresses reasoned elaboration, respect for institutions, and continuity with unwritten norms embodied in past practice; and (2) insular lawyering, which entails opaque definitions, disregard of other institutions, and departures from unwritten norms.1 Because President Trump regularly signals his disdain for institutions, such as the intelligence community, and unwritten norms, such as prosecutorial independence,2 senior lawyers in the White House have added a new mode of legal representation that entails ad hoc adjustments to President Trump’s mercurial decisions and triage among the presidential decisions they will try to temper.
    [Show full text]
  • Dear Friends: Eileen and I Welcome You to the 2017 Spring Meeting Of
    American College of Trial Lawyers 2017 Spring Meeting BOCA RATON RESORT & CLUB BOCA RATON, FLORIDA Dear Friends: Eileen and I welcome you to the 2017 Spring Meeting of the American College of Trial Lawyers at the beautiful Boca Raton Resort. We have planned an exciting meeting, beginning with the President’s Welcome Reception on Thursday evening. Each Region has its own banner displayed to facilitate the opportunity to meet the Inductees from your area and welcome treasured friends. President-Elect Samuel H. (Sam) Franklin has planned an impressive two-day program of distinguished speakers presenting timely and thought-provoking topics during our General Sessions. I know that Fellows and spouses and guests alike will be entertained, educated and enlightened. Tours and activities offered on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday afternoons promise to provide local adventure and relaxation. Please check with the ACTL staff at the Registration Desk to see if tickets are still available. Friday evening’s reception and entertainment will be hosted under the stars on the Grand Lawn, and dinner will be enjoyed in the Grand Ballroom. The traditional highlight of our College meetings, the Induction Ceremony and Spring Banquet, will be Saturday night as we welcome new Fellows into the College. Please remember to wear your name badges so we may greet each other and celebrate our Fellowship. I look forward to seeing each of you. Sincerely, Bartholomew J. Dalton President CHANCELLOR-FOUNDER HON. EMIL GUMPERT 1895-1982 OFFICERS BARTHOLOMEW J. DALTON, President SAMUEL H. FRANKLIN, President-Elect JEFFREY S. LEON, LSM, Treasurer DOUGLAS R. YOUNG, Secretary MICHAEL W.
    [Show full text]
  • Immunity of the Director of the Office of Political Strategy and Outreach from Congressional Subpoena
    Immunity of the Director of the Office of Political Strategy and Outreach from Congressional Subpoena The Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Political Strategy and Out- reach (“OPSO”) is immune from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform’s subpoena to compel him to testify about matters concerning his service to the President in the OPSO. July 15, 2014 MEMORANDUM OPINION FOR THE COUNSEL TO THE PRESIDENT You have asked whether Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Political Strategy and Outreach (“OPSO”) David Simas is legally required to appear to testify at a congressional hearing scheduled for July 16, 2014, in response to a subpoena issued to Mr. Simas by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on July 10, 2014. We understand that the Committee seeks testimony about “whether the White House is taking adequate steps to ensure that political activity by Administration officials complies with relevant statutes, including the Hatch Act,” and about “the role and function of the White House Office of Political Strategy and Outreach.” Letter for David Simas from Darrell Issa, Chairman, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House of Representatives (July 3, 2014) (“Invitation Letter”). For the reasons set forth below, we believe that Mr. Simas is immune from compulsion to testify before the Committee on these matters, and therefore is not re- quired to appear to testify in response to this subpoena. I. A. The Executive Branch’s longstanding position, reaffirmed by numer- ous administrations of both political parties, is that the President’s im- mediate advisers are absolutely immune from congressional testimonial process.
    [Show full text]
  • Suing the Prosecutor Jonathan Van Patten, University of South Dakota School of Law
    University of South Dakota School of Law From the SelectedWorks of Jonathan Van Patten 2010 Suing the Prosecutor Jonathan Van Patten, University of South Dakota School of Law Available at: https://works.bepress.com/jonathan_vanpatten/3/ SUING THE PROSECUTOR JONATHAN K. VAN PATTENt The prosecutor has more control over life, liberty, and reputation than any other person in America. His discretion is tremendous. He can have citizens investigated and, if he is that kind ofperson, he can have this done to the tune of public statements and veiled or unveiled intimations. Or the prosecutor may choose a more subtle course and simply have a citizen's friends interviewed The prosecutor can order arrests, present cases to the grand jury in secret session, and on the basis of his one-sidedpresentation of the facts, can cause the citizen to be indicted and heldfor trial. He may dismiss the case before trial, in which case the defense never has a chance to be heard. Or he may go on with a public trial. If he obtains a conviction, the prosecutor can still make recommendations as to sentence, as to whether the prisoner should get probation or a suspendedsentence, and after he is put away, at whether he is a fit subject for parole. While the prosecutor at his best is one of the most beneficentforces in our society, when he acts from malice or other base motives, 1 he is one of the worst. I. THE PROBLEM The capacity to do great good is accompanied by a corresponding capacity to do great evil.
    [Show full text]
  • Brian Williams Taps Media Elite Go-To Partner at Williams & Connolly
    Brian Williams Taps Media Elite Go-To Partner at Williams & Connolly By Nell Gluckman February 13, 2015 Correction, 2/20/15, 1:54 PM EST: An earlier version of this story misstate the number of partners at Williams & Connolly. There are 121. The story has been revised accordingly. Brian Williams, the embattled anchor of NBC’s “Nightly News,” has retained Williams & Connolly’s Robert Barnett to help negoti- ate his future at the network, according to a source close to Williams. Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Barnett represented Williams in talks with Brian Williams NBC executives that resulted in a six-month that he could return to his position, the story suspension without pay for the beleaguered reports. broadcaster, who was forced to apologize last Assisting Williams through the negotiations week for falsely claiming that he was on board was Barnett, who has carved out a unique repu- a Chinook helicopter that was fired upon and tation in Washington, D.C., as a cross between forced down in Iraq in 2003. corporate lawyer, book agent and contract nego- NBC officials considered, but stopped short tiator for his high-profile clients in politics and of, firing Williams, according to a story in The the media. Barnett declined to comment for this Washington Post about the negotiations. But story, but according to his profile on Williams the deal wasn’t an outright win for Williams, & Connolly’s website, he “represents major who sought but did not receive a promise corporations in litigation matters, corporate work, contract, crisis management, transactions, Sanjay Gupta and Christiane Amanpour.
    [Show full text]
  • Investigation of Whitewater Development Corporation and Related Matters
    104TH CONGRESS REPORT 2d Session SENATE 104±280 "! INVESTIGATION OF WHITEWATER DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND RELATED MATTERS F I N A L R E P O R T OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE WHITEWATER DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND RELATED MATTERS TOGETHER WITH ADDITIONAL AND MINORITY VIEWS JUNE 17, 1996.ÐOrdered to be printed Filed under authority of the order of the Senate of June 13, 1996 INVESTIGATION OF WHITEWATER DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND RELATED MATTERSÐFINAL REPORT 1 104TH CONGRESS REPORT 2d Session SENATE 104±280 "! INVESTIGATION OF WHITEWATER DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND RELATED MATTERS F I N A L R E P O R T OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE WHITEWATER DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND RELATED MATTERS TOGETHER WITH ADDITIONAL AND MINORITY VIEWS JUNE 17, 1996.ÐOrdered to be printed Filed under authority of the order of the Senate of June 13, 1996 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 25±225 WASHINGTON : 1996 SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE WHITEWATER DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND RELATED MATTERS ALFONSE M. D'AMATO, New York, Chairman RICHARD C. SHELBY, Alabama PAUL S. SARBANES, Maryland CHRISTOPHER S. BOND, Missouri CHRISTOPHER J. DODD, Connecticut CONNIE MACK, Florida JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts LAUCH FAIRCLOTH, North Carolina RICHARD H. BRYAN, Nevada ROBERT F. BENNETT, Utah BARBARA BOXER, California ROD GRAMS, Minnesota CAROL MOSELEY-BRAUN, Illinois PETE V. DOMENICI,* New Mexico PATTY MURRAY, Washington ORRIN G. HATCH, Utah PAUL SIMON, Illinois FRANK H. MURKOWSKI, Alaska HOWARD A. MENELL, Staff Director ROBERT J. GIUFFRA, Jr., Chief Counsel PHILIP E. BECHTEL, Deputy Staff Director STEVEN B. HARRIS, Democratic Staff Director and Chief Counsel MICHAEL CHERTOFF, Special Counsel RICHARD BEN-VENISTE, Democratic Special Counsel ALICE S.
    [Show full text]
  • Vaughn Index, the 12 Pages out of the 35 Pages That Together Comprise All of the Unique Messages Contained in the 17 Email Transmissions
    Case 1:10-cv-02013-ESH Document 10-3 Filed 03/15/11 Page 1 of 126 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ____________________________________ ) MEDIA RESEARCH CENTER, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) Civil Action v. ) No. 10-2013 (ESH) ) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE; ) THE SOLICITOR GENERAL ) OF THE UNITED STATES, ) ) Defendants. ) ____________________________________) DECLARATION OF VALERIE H. HALL IN SUPPORT OF DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT I, Valerie H. Hall, declare the following to be true and correct: 1. I am the Executive Officer of the Office of the Solicitor General (“OSG”), United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”). I have served in this role since December 2009. (a) In my position as Executiver Office of the OSG, I am responsible for the day-to- day administrative operations of the OSG. I am responsible for managing the administrative functions of the office, including human resources, information technology (“IT”), personnel security, financial management and budget, and property management. (b) I also serve as the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) Officer for the OSG. In this role, I am resposible for managing the FOIA requests submitted to the OSG, and ensuring our response to those requests. This includes meeting with the OSG staff member(s) to whom a request has been assigned for response, supervising the development and execution of a strategy and individualized approach for Case 1:10-cv-02013-ESH Document 10-3 Filed 03/15/11 Page 2 of 126 responding to each FOIA request, and ensuring cooperation from OSG staff and officials at every level of the OSG whenever necessary.
    [Show full text]
  • Executive Branch
    EXECUTIVE BRANCH THE PRESIDENT BARACK H. OBAMA, Senator from Illinois and 44th President of the United States; born in Honolulu, Hawaii, August 4, 1961; received a B.A. in 1983 from Columbia University, New York City; worked as a community organizer in Chicago, IL; studied law at Harvard University, where he became the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review, and received a J.D. in 1991; practiced law in Chicago, IL; lecturer on constitutional law, University of Chicago; member, Illinois State Senate, 1997–2004; elected as a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in 2004; and served from January 3, 2005, to November 16, 2008, when he resigned from office, having been elected President; family: married to Michelle; two children: Malia and Sasha; elected as President of the United States on November 4, 2008, and took the oath of office on January 20, 2009. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 20500 Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB), 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 20500, phone (202) 456–1414, http://www.whitehouse.gov The President of the United States.—Barack H. Obama. Special Assistant to the President and Personal Aide to the President.— Anita Decker Breckenridge. Director of Oval Office Operations.—Brian Mosteller. OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT phone (202) 456–1414 The Vice President.—Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the Vice President.—Steve Ricchetti, EEOB, room 272, 456–9951. Deputy Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to Dr. Jill Biden.—Sheila Nix, EEOB, room 201, 456–7458.
    [Show full text]