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Alumni

Newsmakers: Alumni Make Their Mark on the New Administration

A December issue of the National Journal reported that Elizabeth Alexander (L’08) is working as the press secretary to Vice President Joe Biden.

Stories appeared in the Wall Street Journal and National Journal in January about Emmett Beliveau (L’04), executive director of the Presidential Inaugural Committee who is now President Obama’s director of advance. “Emmett [and two others] played key roles on my campaign team and I will rely on their talent and expertise in the White House,” Obama said in a release.

AHN Media reported in November that Michael Donilon (C’81, L’91) was appointed counselor to the vice president and that Terrell McSweeny (L’04) was appointed domestic policy adviser to the vice president.

The National Journal reported January 20 that Steve Kosiak (L’98) was named associate director for defense and international affairs at the OMB.

A January 22 New York Times article noted that Jacob Lew (L’83) was chosen to be deputy secretary of state for management and resources, the “number two” person in the department. Lew has been a visiting professor at Georgetown University’s Public Policy Institute.

Louis Lopez (L’98) was appointed deputy chief in the Employment Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Lopez teaches comparative employment discrimination law as an adjunct professor here.

A January 23 Washington Post article reported that Jane Holl Lute (L’99) has been nominated deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. As noted by the Chicago Tribune, she would be the fifth deputy secretary and the first woman to hold the position since the agency was created. “Jane’s experience leading large operations with broad and challenging missions lends itself to the undertaking we have before us at Homeland Security,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said in a news release.

The Boston Globe reported in January that Brian McKeon (L’95) is the deputy national security adviser to Vice President Joe Biden. McKeon has worked for Biden for over 20 years, advising him on foreign affairs, national security issues and legal matters.

On January 22, the New York Times and many other major news outlets covered the appointment of George Mitchell (L’61) as Mideast envoy. Read the Article.

Roll Call noted that Jim Oleske (L’97) and Jim Papa (L’05) were named to the White House legislative affairs team. Oleske served as a counsel in the Office of U.S. Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., an appellate attorney with the National Labor Relations Board, and as a law clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit. Papa previously served as director of member services for the Democratic Caucus.

Sue Ramanathan (LL.M.’02) has been appointed deputy assistant secretary for legislative affairs at the Department of Homeland Security.

The January 20 AMLaw Daily reported the appointment of Kathryn Ruemmler (L’96), to the post of principal associate deputy attorney general at the Department of Justice. Ruemmler was previously a litigation partner at Latham & Watkins and before that was one of three lead prosecutors in the trial of Enron’s founder, Kenneth Lay, and former CEO Jeffrey Skilling. She delivered the closing arguments in those cases.

The White House announced February 23 that Dana E. Singiser (L’98) was named special assistant to the president for legislative affairs.

The Daily Deal carried a profile of Christine Varney (L’86), nominated for the post of antitrust chief in the Department of Justice, in February. She also served as a senior staff member of Obama’s transition team. Another profile of Varney appeared in the Legal Times, February 16, 2009.

Meridith A. Webster (L’07) has been appointed to serve as deputy chief of staff to Susan Rice, the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations. She also served on a policy working group for energy and environment policy during the transition.

Current student Matthew Flavin (L’10) is serving as a staff assistant on the National Security Council legal team.

On February 11, 2009, Rep. John Dingell (C ’49, L’52), D-Mich., who’s been in office since 1955, became the longest serving representative in our nation’s history. Other recently re-elected alums include: Rep. Mike Castle (L’64), R-Del; Sen. Richard J. Durbin (F’66, L’69), D-Ill.; Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (C’93, L’97, G’98, Ph.D.’03), D-S.D.; Rep. Mazie Hirono (L’78), D-Hawaii; Rep. Steny Hoyer (L’66), D-Md.; Rep. Mark Kirk (L’92), R-Ill.; Rep. Dan Lungren (L’71), R-Calif.; Rep. Chris Van Hollen (L’90), D-Md.; Rep. Peter Visclosky (LL.M.‘82), D-Ind., and Rep. Frank Wolf (L’65), R-Va. Sen. Patrick Leahy (L’64), D-Vt., and Sen. James Webb (L’75), D-Va., were not up for re-election.

And elsewhere in the country: Mike Moran (L’91) was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in November 2008. Jason Kander (L’05) was elected to represent Kansas City in the Missouri House of Representatives. Mac Schneider (L’08) and Rich Zipperer (L’08) wasted no time in serving the public after graduating from the Law Center: Schneider on the North Dakota State Senate and Zipperer in the Wisconsin House of Representatives.

Other newsmakers include:

“Legal Nonprofits Aren’t for the Faint of Heart,” a November article in the Daily Journal, featured Emily Arnold-Fernandez (L’04).

“Black Power Brokers Ready to Rise in Tandem with New President,” an article in the November 6 Wall Street Journal, featured Judith Byrd (L’80).

Sam Feist (L’99) has been named vice president of Washington-based programming for CNN, overseeing programs such as “The Situation Room” with Wolf Blitzer, “State of the Union” with John King and political specials. He will also maintain his duties as CNN political director.

Steven D. Feldman (L’97), a former prosecutor and partner leading the white collar criminal defense practice at Herrick, Feinstein in New York, was featured in several television and print reports concerning the Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme — including an appearance on CNBC’s “Power Lunch” with plaintiff’s attorney John Singer (L’92) and Sean Coffey (L’87), a partner at Bernstein Litowitz Berger and Grossmann and lead attorney for the plaintiffs in the WorldCom case.

“Globe Trotter,” a profile of Bridget M. Healy (L’82), executive vice president and chief legal officer at ING Americas, appeared in the National Law Journal September 25.

“Learn from Obama,” an opinion piece by Michael D. Jones (L’85), appeared in the National Law Journal February 2, 2009.

“Kroll Seeks a New Conquest,” a profile of Jules Kroll (L’66), ran in the Financial Times on December 14, 2008.

An article in the Providence Journal in December, “Lipsey Retires After 15 Years on Family Court,” featured Family Court Judge Howard Lipsey (L’60).

“Mayhew Will Turn Things Around for Lions,” an opinion piece in the Detroit Free Press on January 19, featured Martin Mayhew (L’00), senior vice president and general manager of the Detroit Lions. Profiles of Mayhew also appeared in the New York Times and USA Today.

“Judge Moon Says Farewell,” a profile featuring retiring Common Pleas Court Judge Paul Moon (L’62), appeared in The Beacon (Ohio) on January 29.

An interview with Los Angeles mayoral candidate Walter Moore (L’84) appeared in the Los Angeles Times February 11, 2009.

“Law Firms Tightening Belts — By Request,” in the Washington Post, October 20, 2008, featured Robert Ruyak (L’74). For a profile of Ruyak, Read the Article.

The Washington Post reported in September that Steve G. Salant (L’77) has been appointed to the Montgomery County, Md., Circuit Court.

The “Get in the Game” women lawyers basketball league, started by a group of Georgetown Law students including Jennifer Schwab (G’99, L’02), was featured in the Washington Post on January 19.

John Singer (L’92), a co-founder of Singer Deutsch along with Michael C. Deutsch (C’88, L’92), is a legal commentator on CNBC and Fox Business News — providing information on issues ranging from employment cases against Wall Street investment banks to securities class action litigation.

Last January, the election of Michael Steele (L’91)as chairman of the Republican National Committee drew extensive print and electronic media coverage in the Washington Post, Associated Press, CNN and others. Read the Article.