Barry Pollack is engaged these days in an improbable balancing act for a criminal defense lawyer—asking state prosecutors to investigate criminal claims against one client, Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, while hoping to keep another client, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, away from U.S. prosecutors’ jurisdiction entirely.

The Robbins, Russell, Englert, Orseck, Untereiner & Sauber partner sent letters this week to prosecutors in Virginia, Massachusetts and North Carolina, asking them to investigate sexual misconduct claims made by Vanessa Tyson and Meredith Watson against Fairfax, who has remained in office amid the accusations but is on leave from the partnership at Morrison & Foerster.