ELECTION 2012: A SPECIAL REPORT

The National Law Journal

10-29-2012

As the presidential election looms, speculation continues to mount over what might happen should the White House change hands. In this special report, The National Law Journal considers the possibilities of retiring Supreme Court justices, shifting priorities at the Department of Justice, and the fate of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Also, we ask midsize firms to forecast the effect of a Romney or Obama victory on their business, and see how attorneys are preparing to do battle over potential contested results.
 

Electing a Supreme Court
At the end of the second year of President Obama's second term, will Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg decide to retire? Or, at the end of the second year of President Romney's first term, will Justice Antonin Scalia choose to call it a day?
 

Romney would shift priorities at Justice
Big changes are forecast for civil rights, white-collar crime, antitrust enforcement and more.

Youngest agency has a lot on the line
If Romney wins, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau may undergo drastic makeover, after Cordray's term expires.

Campaign lawyers are girding their loins
With the presidential and other contests so close, 'Nobody's going to go into this election not prepared.'

Big firms prepare to staff the phones
Many will operate hot lines to answer voters' questions and try to make sure the balloting runs smoothly.

The Lawyer-in-Chief
Historically, a legal career is good training for the chief executive: Of the 43 U.S. presidents, 26 have been lawyers. The two candidates in this year's election are no exception. We take a look at the historical trends of the American lawyer-president from John Adams to Barack Obama.

Percentage of House members and senators who have been lawyers since 1945

A sampling of candidates affiliated with big firms