A mix of policy wonks, private practitioners, academics, public officials and business leaders -- meet the lawyers on the Obama-Biden Transition Project.
Two of the three co-chairs have law degrees, one with strong ties to the president-elect and the other with deep roots in government service:
Co-Chair Valerie Jarrett -- Holds a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School; got her start in Chicago politics in 1987 working for Mayor Harold Washington as deputy corporation counsel for finance and development; currently the chief executive officer of The Habitat Co., a real estate development and management company, which she joined in 1995; one of Obama's longest serving advisers and "closest campaign aide."
Co-Chair John Podesta -- President and chief executive officer of American Progress; served as chief of staff to President William J. Clinton from October 1998 until January 2001; currently a visiting professor at Georgetown University Law Center, teaching courses on technology policy, congressional investigations, legislation, copyright and public interest law; considered one of Washington's leading experts in technology policy; held a number of positions on Capitol Hill, including counselor to Democratic Leader Senator Thomas A. Daschle (1995-1996); chief minority counsel for the Senate Judiciary subcommittees on Patents, Copyrights, and Trademarks; Security and Terrorism; and Regulatory Reform; and counsel on the majority staff of the Senate Judiciary Committee (1979-1981); graduate of Georgetown University Law Center.
Here are the lawyer members of the advisory board:
Carol M. Browner -- Served as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency during the Clinton Administration — longest-serving administrator in EPA's history; earned law degree from the University of Florida School of Law. After the Clinton Administration, joined the Albright Group, a "global strategy group" headed by former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, where she assists businesses and other organizations with the challenges of operating internationally, including the challenges of complying with environmental regulations; currently the chair of the Audubon Society with term expiring in 2008.
William M. Daley -- Served as U.S. secretary of Commerce and is a business executive; graduated with a B.A. from Loyola University Chicago and an LL.B. from John Marshall Law School; practiced law with Daley and George and as a partner with Mayer Brown from 1993 to 1997; in 1997, became secretary of Commerce in the second Clinton administration; in 2001, was appointed president of SBC Communications Inc.; in 2004, became Midwest chairman of JPMorgan Chase and Bank One Corp. to oversee post-merger operations from Chicago.
Christopher Edley Jr. -- Dean of University of California, Berkeley School of Law in 2004, after 23 years as a professor at Harvard Law School; earned a law degree from Harvard; academic work primarily in the areas of civil rights and administrative law; served as associate director for economics and government at the Clinton White House Office of Management and Budget from 1993 to 1995; also special counsel to the president, directing the White House review of affirmative action.
Michael Froman -- An Obama Harvard Law classmate and former chief of staff to Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin; president and chief executive officer of CitiInsurance, the international insurance operation of Citigroup; from January 1993 to December 1995, was director for International Economic Affairs on the National Economic Council and the National Security Council at the White House; received a law degree from Harvard Law School.
Julius Genachowski -- Co-founder of LaunchBox Digital; was chief of business operations and a member of Barry Diller's Office of the Chairman at IAC/InterActiveCorp, a major e-commerce and new media company; a co-founder and managing director of Rock Creek Ventures, and a special adviser at General Atlantic; a former senior official at the Federal Communications Commission; served as a law clerk to Associate Justice David H. Souter; received his J.D. from Harvard Law School.
Janet Napolitano -- Currently Arizona governor, former U.S. Attorney for Arizona, and Arizona's first female attorney general; former partner at Lewis & Roca; served as counsel to law professor Anita Hill when Hill testified against then Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas; earned law degree from University of Virginia.
Federico Peña -- Served as secretary of Transportation, 1993-1997 and secretary of Energy, 1997-1998, during Clinton administration; earned J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law ; after leaving Clinton administration, returned to Denver and joined investment firm Vestar Capital Partners in August 1998, as senior adviser, became a managing director.
Mark Gitenstein -- Partner, Washington office of Mayer Brown; corporate attorney whose practice is focused primarily on issues of government relations; before Mayer Brown, was executive director for The Foundation for Change Inc., in Washington; served in several senior-level government positions, including chief counsel to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee (1987-1989); minority chief counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee (1981-1987); and chief counsel for the Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Criminal Justice (1978-1981); also served as counsel to the Senate Intelligence Committee (1975-1976 and 1976-1978) and, from 1972 to 1975, as counsel to the Senate Subcommittee on Constitutional Rights; holds law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.
General Counsel, Transition Project: Cassandra Q. Butts -- Senior vice president for domestic policy at Center for American Progress; considered most senior domestic policy adviser of Barack Obama; formerly senior adviser to Representative Richard A. Gephardt, D-Mo., and served as the policy director on his 2004 presidential campaign; assistant counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund; earned J.D. from Harvard Law School.
Executive Director, Transition Project: Chris Lu -- Harvard Law School classmate of Obama; served as Obama's Senate legislative affairs director and recently as chief of staff.
Director of Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs: Michael Strautman -- Obama's chief counsel and deputy chief of staff in the Senate.
