Legal Resources

List of Attorneys Who Offer Services to Prospective Appointees

The Partnership for Public Service provides this list of attorneys so that prospective appointees can follow up directly with these professionals to learn about their services. The Partnership does not endorse particular law firms. Rather, we make this list available for the convenience of prospective appointees in locating services.

For more on appointee vetting, see our podcast on Navigating the Screening Process for High Level Appointees featuring Leslie Kiernan and Bob Rizzi, and An Overview of Vetting Forms: What Aspiring Political Appointees Should Know featuring Charles Borden, Bob Rizzi and other legal experts.

If you have questions, please contact [email protected].

Christopher E. Babbitt

Partner, WilmerHale
[email protected]
(202) 663-6681
Read Bio

 

Past Experience

  • As a member of a private law firm, have assisted prospective political appointees with appointment and/or confirmation process

 

Types of Assistance

  • Assessing and completing requirements related to obtaining national security clearance
  • Assessing ethical conflicts of interest
  • Negotiating financial disclosure, divestiture, and/or waiver agreements
  • Preparing for Senate confirmation hearings

 

Services Offered for Prospective Appointees

  • Free consultation call
  • Discounted/reduced fee services
  • Full price services

 

Willing to Assist
I would be willing to assist nominees from both parties

John Bellinger

Partner, Arnold & Porter
[email protected]
(202) 942-6599
Read Bio

 

Past Experience

  • Worked on past transition team on appointee selection and/or confirmation

  • Worked in government (White House, Congress, OGE, or other) on appointee selection, review, and/or confirmation

  • As a member of a private law firm, have assisted prospective political appointees with appointment and/or confirmation process

  • Worked in the White House Counsel’s Office and was the Legal Adviser of the State Department (a PAS position).

  • Worked on numerous nominations and confirmations, including for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and my own confirmation

 

Types of Assistance

  • Assessing and completing requirements related to obtaining national security clearance

  • Assessing ethical conflicts of interest

  • Negotiating financial disclosure, divestiture, and/or waiver agreements

  • Preparing for Senate confirmation hearings

  • Managed Secretary Rice’s Senate confirmation, among others

 

Services Offered for Prospective Appointees

  • Free consultation call

  • Pro-bono services

  • Discounted/reduced fee services

  • Full price services

 

Willing to Assist
I would be willing to assist nominees from both partie

Charles Borden

Partner, Holland & Knight LLP
[email protected]
(202) 469-5461
Read Bio

 

Past Experience
As a member of a private law firm, have assisted prospective political appointees with appointment and/or confirmation process

 

Types of Assistance

  • Assessing and completing requirements related to obtaining national security clearance

  • Assessing ethical conflicts of interest

  • Negotiating financial disclosure, divestiture, and/or waiver agreements

  • Preparing for Senate confirmation hearings

 

Services Offered for Prospective Appointees

  • Free consultation call

  • Discounted/reduced fee services

  • Full price services

 

Willing to Assist
I would be willing to assist nominees from both parties

Elaine Fitch

Managing Partner, Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman & Fitch
[email protected]
(202) 331-9260
Read Bio

 

Past Experience

  • As a member of a private law firm, have assisted prospective political appointees with security clearances

 

Types of Assistance

  • Assessing and completing requirements related to obtaining national security clearance

 

Services Offered for Prospective Appointees

  • Full price services

 

Willing to Assist
I would be willing to assist nominees from both parties

Gwen Keyes Fleming

Partner, Van Ness Feldman, LLP
[email protected]
(202) 594-7481
Read Bio

 

Past Experience

  • Worked in government (White House, Congress, OGE, or other) on appointee selection, review, and/or confirmation

  • Was a high level political appointee (COS) at EPA

 

Types of Assistance

  • Assessing ethical conflicts of interest

  • Negotiating financial disclosure, divestiture, and/or waiver agreements

  • Preparing for Senate confirmation hearings

 

Services Offered for Prospective Appointees

  • Free consultation call

  • Discounted/reduced fee services

 

Willing to Assist
I would be willing to assist nominees from both parties

Theodore W. Kassinger

Of Counsel, O’Melveny & Myers LLP
[email protected]
(202) 383-5170
Read Bio

 

Past Experience

  • Worked on past transition team on appointee selection and/or confirmation

  • Worked in government (White House, Congress, OGE, or other) on appointee selection, review, and/or confirmation

  • As a member of a private law firm, have assisted prospective political appointees with appointment and/or confirmation process

  • Twice personally served in senior positions that required Senate confirmation

  • In addition to other responsibilities, served as the Designated Agency Ethics Official at the US Department of Commerce

 

Types of Assistance

  • Assessing and completing requirements related to obtaining national security clearance

  • Assessing ethical conflicts of interest

  • Negotiating financial disclosure, divestiture, and/or waiver agreements

  • Preparing for Senate confirmation hearings

  • Provide general advice on government operations, practical considerations regarding performing the duties of an appointed official, substantive agency roles missions

 

Services Offered for Prospective Appointees

  • Free consultation call (not to include legal advice)

  • Pro-bono services (depends on circumstances, firm’s policies, and approval)

  • Discounted / reduced fee services (only if approved by firm)

  • Full price services (only if approved by firm)

 

Willing to Assist
I would be willing to assist nominees from both parties

Robert Kelner

Partner, Covington & Burling LLP
[email protected]
(202) 662-5503
Read Bio

 

Past Experience
As a member of a private law firm, have assisted prospective political appointees with appointment and/or confirmation process

 

Types of Assistance

  • Assessing and completing requirements related to obtaining national security clearance

  • Assessing ethical conflicts of interest

  • Negotiating financial disclosure, divestiture, and/or waiver agreements

  • Preparing for Senate confirmation hearings

  • Tax advice

 

Services Offered for Prospective Appointees

  • Free consultation call

  • Full price services

 

Willing to Assist
I would be willing to assist nominees from both parties

Mary E. Kuntz

Partner, Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman & Fitch P.C.
[email protected]
(202) 331-3936
Read Bio

 

Past Experience

  • As a member of a private law firm, have assisted with security clearance application and background investigation

 

Types of Assistance

  • Assessing and completing requirements related to obtaining national security clearance

 

Services Offered for Prospective Appointees

  • Free consultation call

  • Full price services

 

Willing to Assist
I would be willing to assist nominees from both parties

Melissa Laurenza

Partner, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
[email protected]
(202) 887-4251
Read Bio

 

Past Experience
As a member of a private law firm, have assisted prospective political appointees with appointment and/or confirmation process

 

Types of Assistance

  • Assessing ethical conflicts of interest

  • Negotiating financial disclosure, divestiture, and/or waiver agreements

  • Preparing for Senate confirmation hearings

  • Assisting with financial disclosures

 

Services Offered for Prospective Appointees

  • Discounted/reduced fee services

  • Full price services

 

Willing to Assist
I would be willing to assist nominees from both parties

Lawrence Norton

Partner, Covington & Burling LLP
[email protected]
(202) 344-4541
Read Bio

 

Past Experience

  • Worked in government on appointee selection, review, and/or confirmation

  • As a member of a private law firm, have assisted prospective political appointees with appointment and/or confirmation process

 

Types of Assistance

  • Assessing ethical conflicts of interest

  • Negotiating financial disclosure, divestiture, and/or waiver agreements

  • Preparing for Senate confirmation hearings

 

Services Offered for Prospective Appointees

  • Free consultation call

  • Discounted/reduced fee services

 

Willing to Assist
Prospective Democratic nominees

Nina Ren

Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman & Fitch, PC
[email protected]
(202) 331-7414
Read Bio

 

Past Experience

  • As a member of a private law firm, have assisted prospective political appointees with appointment and/or confirmation process

 

Types of Assistance

  • Assessing and completing requirements related to obtaining national security clearance

  • Assessing ethical conflicts of interest

  • Negotiating financial disclosure, divestiture, and/or waiver agreements

  • Preparing for Senate confirmation hearings

 

Services Offered for Prospective Appointees

  • Free consultation call

  • Discounted/reduced fee services

  • Full price services

 

Willing to Assist
I would be willing to assist nominees from both parties

Bob Rizzi

Partner, Steptoe & Johnson
[email protected]
(202) 744-1489
Read Bio

 

Past Experience

  • Worked on past transition team on appointee selection and/or confirmation

  • As a member of a private law firm, have assisted prospective political appointees with appointment and/or confirmation process

 

Types of Assistance

  • Assessing and completing requirements related to obtaining national security clearance

  • Assessing ethical conflicts of interest

  • Negotiating financial disclosure, divestiture, and/or waiver agreements

  • Preparing for Senate confirmation hearings

 

Services Offered for Prospective Appointees

  • Free consultation call

  • Discounted/reduced fee services

  • Full price services

 

Willing to Assist
I would be willing to assist nominees from both parties

Amanda B. Robinson

Partner, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
[email protected]
(202) 739-5579
Read Bio

 

Past Experience

  • As a member of a private law firm, have assisted prospective political appointees with appointment and/or confirmation process

 

Types of Assistance

  • Assessing and completing requirements related to obtaining national security clearance

  • Assessing ethical conflicts of interest

  • Negotiating financial disclosure, divestiture, and/or waiver agreements

  • Preparing for Senate confirmation hearings

 

Services Offered for Prospective Appointees

  • Free consultation call

  • Discounted/reduced fee services

  • Full price services

 

Willing to Assist
I would be willing to assist nominees from both parties

James E. Tyrrell III

Partner, Venable LLP
[email protected] 
(202) 344-4522
Read Bio

 

Past Experience

  • Worked on past transition team on appointee selection and/or confirmation

  • As a member of a private law firm, have assisted prospective political appointees with appointment and/or confirmation process

 

Types of Assistance

  • Assessing and completing requirements related to obtaining national security clearance

  • Assessing ethical conflicts of interest

  • Negotiating financial disclosure, divestiture, and/or waiver agreements

  • Preparing for Senate confirmation hearings

 

Services Offered for Prospective Appointees

  • Free consultation call

  • Discounted/reduced fee services

  • Full price services

 

Willing to Assist
I would be willing to assist nominees from both parties

Robert Weiner

Senior Counsel, Arnold & Porter
[email protected]
(202) 942-5855
Read Bio

 

Past Experience

  • Worked on past transition team on appointee selection and/or confirmation

  • Worked in government (White House, Congress, OGE, or other) on appointee selection, review, and/or confirmation

  • As a member of a private law firm, have assisted prospective political appointees with appointment and/or confirmation process

 

Types of Assistance

  • Assessing and completing requirements related to obtaining national security clearance

  • Assessing ethical conflicts of interest

  • Preparing for Senate confirmation hearings

 

Services Offered for Prospective Appointees

  • Free consultation call

  • Pro-bono services

  • Discounted/reduced fee services

  • Full price services

 

Willing to Assist
I would be willing to assist nominees from both parties