Attorney General

‘Broad Doctrinal Shift’ Expected at DOJ as Eric Holder is OK’d as AG

In an expected confirmation, the U.S. Senate has confirmed Eric H. Holder Jr. as the nation’s first African-American attorney general. “Though debate quickly turned partisan when his chief supporter denounced Republicans who sought a pledge not to prosecute intelligence agents who participated in harsh interrogations, the Senate still confirmed Holder…

Feb 2, 2009 11:57 PM CST

Justice Department Hoaxes Employees in Security Test

The U.S. Justice Department sent a hoax e-mail to its employees directing them to log on to a website where they could enter information about their savings plan. The e-mail sent a few weeks ago was signed “Thrift Savings Plan Account Coordinator,” the Associated Press reports. It told employees to…

Jan 30, 2009 8:06 PM CST

Ex-DOJ Antitrust Chief Heads Back to Covington

The Justice Department’s antitrust chief will be going back to his former law firm, Covington & Burling. Thomas Barnett resigned from his post in November and spent a few months relaxing with family and friends. Now he is going back to the law firm where he spent 14 years of…

Jan 28, 2009 5:29 PM CST

Holder Wins Judiciary Committee Approval

The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved the nomination of Eric Holder to become attorney general. The vote was 17-2, reports The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times. A full Senate vote could come as early as tomorrow. The only senators voting against Holder were Republicans John Cornyn of Texas and…

Jan 28, 2009 4:48 PM CST

Holder’s Harshest Senate Critic Says He Will Vote for Confirmation

The ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee says that despite his initial doubts, he will support Eric Holder for attorney general. Sen. Arlen Specter said he decided to support Holder because of his good record and support within the law enforcement community, Legal Times reports. The Wall Street Journal…

Jan 28, 2009 12:42 PM CST

Streisand E-Mail Appeal Supports Holder

Barbra Streisand is hoping that Republican senators won’t rain on Eric Holder’s parade. Streisand has lent her name to a fundraising plea for the attorney general nominee, according to the Washington Post and The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times. The Streisand e-mail was sent to supporters of People for…

Jan 27, 2009 4:08 PM CST

Halliburton Agrees to Record $559M Bribery Settlement

Halliburton has agreed to pay $559 million to settle charges that its former KBR Inc. unit bribed Nigerian officials during the building of a gas plant. The settlement is the largest ever by a U.S. company in a bribery probe, report the Wall Street Journal and Reuters. Under terms of…

Jan 27, 2009 11:53 AM CST

New DOJ Picks Hail from MoFo, Covington, Hogan & Hartson

President Barack Obama has named four lawyers to Justice Department posts, and three of them come from large law firms. They are: • Christine Varney of Hogan & Hartson, to head the Justice Department’s antitrust division. Varney is a former member of the Federal Trade Commission who often voted to…

Jan 23, 2009 11:58 AM CST

Latham & Watkins a DOJ ‘Feeder Firm’

The Justice Department is once again poised to snag a lawyer from Latham & Watkins. Partner Kathryn Ruemmler has been tapped for the job of principal associate deputy attorney general, the Am Law Daily reports. Ruemmler joined Latham in 2007 after working as deputy director of the Justice Department’s Enron…

Jan 22, 2009 2:02 PM CST

Senate Committee Vote on Holder’s Nomination as AG is Delayed a Week

A planned vote today by the Senate Judiciary Committee on whether to support Eric Holder’s nomination as U.S. attorney general has been delayed for a week at the request of Republican members. Describing today’s committee meeting as “rancorous,” CNN says that committee chair Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), was “clearly agitated”…

Jan 21, 2009 10:26 PM CST

Law Prof Who Proposed US Court to Try Gitmo Detainees Gets DOJ Nod

Two Georgetown law professors who have been critics of Bush administration legal policies have been appointed to posts in the Justice Department. Neal Katyal has been appointed principal deputy solicitor general and Marty Lederman has been appointed deputy assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel, according to the…

Jan 21, 2009 12:34 PM CST

One of History’s Unusual Pairings: Chief Justice Swearing in Obama

Barack Obama will be sworn in today by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., a man whose confirmation to the high court he once opposed as a U.S. senator. The New York Times calls the event one of history’s unusual swearing-in pairings. Roger Taney swore in Abraham Lincoln four years…

Jan 20, 2009 1:46 PM CST

Indiana AG Hopes to Improve Lawyers’ Reputation

Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller says he’d like to improve the reputation of lawyers. At one time, lawyers were family counselors and trusted advisers, Zoeller says, and he’d like to revive the tradition, according to the Indianapolis Star. He said pro bono work has been an effective image booster. “That…

Jan 16, 2009 2:28 PM CST

Holder Says Waterboarding is Torture

Attorney general nominee Eric Holder told senators in no uncertain terms at his confirmation hearing today that waterboarding is torture. Holder spoke in response to a question by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, reports The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times. “I agree with you, chairman, that waterboarding is…

Jan 15, 2009 4:52 PM CST

Likely Antitrust Nominees: Harvard Law Prof and FTC Commissioner

Harvard law professor Einer Elhauge and Federal Trade Commission commissioner Jon Leibowitz are likely to be nominated to the nation’s two top antitrust jobs, a wire service is reporting. Elhauge is expected to be named to head the Justice Department’s antitrust division, Reuters reports, and Leibowitz is expected to be…

Jan 15, 2009 4:30 PM CST