A brillant, tenacious lawyer & leader like Doug is perfect for the job,” Robert Loeb, an Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe partner said Friday on Twitter. DL: I was teaching at Georgetown Law and working for a public interest litigation institute. What about the profession do you most enjoy? A legal mind many haven't heard of is advising and helping to coordinate the impeachment fight behind the scenes. Son of Harvey "Chaim Chune" Letter, Esq and Glory Joyce Letter Resources to Respond to Sexual Harassment, Frequently Asked Questions & Rule Clarifications, Social Justice+Public Interest Community at Berkeley Law, Financial Aid Checklist for LL.M./J.S.D. As a California resident, at that time I think I was paying literally a couple hundred dollars a semester. It’s all been pro bono—we’re not spending a dime of taxpayer money. Letter worked as the director of the appellate staff in the Justice Department’s civil division until his February retirement. But when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked him to become general counsel of the House of Representatives a year ago, he knew the job could vault him into the public eye. Visit Website (202) 514-2203. I knew we’d be doing very fun, interesting, and important work. AC: Given everything on your plate, how do you juggle everything that needs to be done? Husband of Private I get such a rush from doing that. Google Chrome, Are you a legal professional? Students, Supplemental Academic Rules for Traditional and Thesis Track LL.M. He has received numerous awards from the Department of Justice and various federal agencies, and received the Justice Tom Clark Award for Outstanding Government Lawyer in 2007. His appointment, announced Friday by incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, comes as Democrats prepare to unleash what is expected to be a barrage of investigations into President Donald Trump’s administration and business, along with separate probes into tech companies and other industries. We recommend using He also served in the Attorney General’s Office in 1999. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Solicitor General. Douglas Letter ’78 wasn’t looking for a searing hot spotlight. I have a staff of nine attorneys and whenever I get authorized to participate in litigation, I can retain other attorneys either for pay or pro bono. That’s the secret. By C. Ryan Barber | December 28, 2018 at 03:31 PM. Birth of Douglas Neal Letter, General Counsel U.S. H... Attorney, General Counsel U.S. House of Representatives. Updated: 05/16/2006. Because of the major stonewalling by the administration, there are times it can be challenging. A big problem for me personally, frankly, has been doing a considerable amount of litigation against the Justice Department—against people who are good friends of mine, many I’ve hired and trained. Letter recently took time out of an absurdly busy schedule to describe his current roller-coaster ride, his working relationship with Speaker Pelosi, and his Berkeley Law memories. What prompted you to jump back in, at full throttle, a year later? I’m also a major Giants, 49ers, and Warriors fan and she’s very interested in all these teams. Cousin Douglas Letter is the son of Harvey and Glory Letter (nee Alprin), the brother of Gordon Archer Letter, Esq and first cousin of Gary Howard Goldberg. I had a good friend at the Justice Department, and decided to give it a try. Brother of Private. I’ve lectured there and am going back in February. DC 20530- I especially love doing court appearances when there are very intelligent and interested judges asking you difficult questions. There’s also an intellectual fascination working on issues that haven’t been definitively resolved. Letter would be the chief point person for any litigation involving enforcement of subpoenas targeting Trump administration officials and others in the president’s orbit. I had plenty of dealings with the House when I was at the Justice Department, but now I’m learning how the various committee structures work, the Speaker’s relationship with committee chairs, how the House goes to court. DL: I nap during meetings, just doze right off. It’s been a scramble to be on time for meetings. AC: On that note, is it true you sleep just four hours a night, and if so what’s your secret for staying alert and productive? Your Profile? Pelosi Picks Ex-DOJ Appellate Vet Douglas Letter as House General Counsel Letter replaces former Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher appellate partner Thomas Hungar, who was picked for the post in 2016 by House Speaker Paul Ryan. Firefox, or How many cases like mine have you handled? My interns get tons of responsibility and it’s the same at the Justice Department. Berkeley was a good place for people who strongly believed in public service. CA), Employer Resources for Virtual Internship Programs, Non Discrimination, Non Harassment, and Military Recruiting Policies, Enrichment Opportunities for Recent Grads, Calling the Shots: Douglas Letter ’78 Helps Steer House Impeachment Strategy. It’s been fun bonding over the 49ers’ resurgence this year. My other advice is to try to get a summer position here. © 2020 UC Regents, UC Berkeley School of Law, All Rights Reserved. Father of Private and Private I’ve been a public servant my whole adult life, so I do wear nondescript suits, which is all I can afford. He has argued cases on behalf of the United States before the Supreme Court and each of the United States Courts of Appeals. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Solicitor General. DL: The UCDC Law Program that’s available to Berkeley Law students is great. It was great representing the U.S. in federal courts and getting to do a Supreme Court argument less than five years in. There’s a whole batch of private firms and public interest litigation groups who are working for me. Douglas Letter, a former top lawyer at the U.S. Justice Department who retired in January after four decades at the agency, will serve as the top lawyer for … AC: You’ve been profiled in the Washington Post and on CNN.com, among other major media outlets. Professor Letter was elected to two terms on the DC Bar Board of Governors, and currently serves as the DOJ representative on the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure Committee. AC: What advice would you give law students today who want to work in Washington? And I know Berkeley pays a ($5,000) stipend for otherwise unpaid summer public interest work. Learn More . Professor Letter currently serves as both the Terrorism Litigation Counsel and Appellate Litigation Counsel in the Civil Division at DOJ. As an integral part of the House’s team prosecuting the impeachment trial of President Trump, Letter is now front and center in an intriguing chess match—with an insatiable news media blaring every detail. While I’ve been doing litigation for the United States for 40 years, I’d never worked on the Hill. Students, Financial Aid Checklist for Incoming Transfer Students, Financial Aid Checklist & Timeline For Entering Students, Financial Aid – J.D. Douglas Hewson Christie, Jr. (April 24, 1946 – March 11, 2013) was a Canadian lawyer and political activist based in Victoria, British Columbia, who was known nationally for his defence of clients such as Holocaust denier Ernst Zündel, former Nazi prison guard Michael Seifert and right-wing extremist Paul Fromm among others. comparative communications restrictions. Every state has a disciplinary organization that monitors attorneys, their licenses, and consumer complaints. West Legal Directory disclaimers. I figured I’d be doing that for quite a while, but when I was asked to consider becoming House counsel … I talked to some people on Nancy Pelosi’s staff, and it sounded like this could be extremely interesting. I do have a few things that keep me sane: I play a lot of tennis, I bike to work most days in the spring and summer, and I play basketball once a week. Douglas N Letter - Washington, DC. DL: I recently learned she’s a major Grateful Dead fan. And I spent the first several weeks getting lost. Mike Scarcella/ALM Douglas Letter, a former top lawyer at the U.S. Justice Department who retired in January after four decades at the agency, will serve as the top lawyer for the U.S. House next year as Democrats return to power. Mario G. 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