Legal Eagle Wedding Watch 8.24: Herb-al Essence

As we expected, celebrity professors Cass Sunstein and Samatha Power were the winners of last week’s July Couple of the Month voting, running away with over 60 percent of the vote. Congratulations to this nerdy-hot duo!
This week’s set of contestants might be the strongest we’ve seen this season. Their write-ups feature five Harvard degrees, a Rhodes, and one of Biglaw’s most exalted surnames. Here are the names of the newlyweds:

1. Geneviève Treuille and Daniel Wachtell

2. Melissa Langsam and Todd Braunstein

3. Amanda Schwoerke and Stephen Sachs

Read more about these couples — and see their pictures — after the jump.


1. Geneviève Treuille and Daniel Wachtell
(Buy them a magnetic spice tin.)
The Case:
– Geneviève and Daniel met in law school (NYU) and graduated this past May. She did her undergrad at Swarthmore; he went to Princeton.
– They’ve had a full summer, what with wedding planning and (we assume) studying for the bar. They’ll start at NYC firms this fall; the bride will be at Hogan and the groom at Morvillo, Abramowitz, Grand, Iason, Anello & Bohrer (a firm described by the New York Observer as “the crème de la crème of white-collar criminal defense in Manhattan”).
– Speaking of crème de la crème, the father of the groom is one of the founding partners of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, which is, one might say, the crème de la crème de la crème of Biglaw, being both the most profitable law firm in the world and the most prestigious firm to work for. (It’s also a former workplace of ATL’s founder.)
The Case Against:
– Wachtell’s “about the firm” page refers to the firm’s expertise with “‘bet the company’ litigation.” Does a more trite, overused, bluster-y phrase exist in Biglaw? It’s not even good marketing. The firm is essentially saying, “Our legal fees routinely threaten to bankrupt our clients.” Woo-hoo!
– It’s illusion-shattering to learn that the fruit of Herb Wachtell’s loins slumbers on sheets from Bed Bath & Beyond. The newlyweds redeem themselves somewhat in this category, however, by registering for respectably expensive china.
2. Melissa Langsam and Todd Braunstein
(Buy them a Fred-o-Matic kitchen timer.)
The Case:
– Six mentions of Harvard in this write up, so we’re already on board. Both Melissa and Todd graduated magna from Harvard College. Todd also went to HLS, graduating cum laude. Melissa is currently studying for a master’s in public policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
– Todd is a former president of The Harvard Crimson, and the ceremony took place at the Harvard Club in New York.
– Todd was until recently a special assistant for domestic policy at the White House. Next month he’ll start as an assistant U.S. Attorney in Boston. Melissa is a former speechwriter for the Bush II State Department.
The Case Against:
– Google turned up a quote from Melissa criticizing affirmative action, calling it “a huge disservice . . . It negatively charges the environment when you have preferences.” Speaking of huge disservices: Wouldn’t it be swell if all Melissa and Todd’s colleagues in the Bush administration had shared this view of preferences, particularly the nauseating Monica Goodling, and her hack-factory at the Department of Justice?

3. Amanda Schwoerke and Stephen Sachs
(Buy them honeymoon stuff.)
The Case:
– Amanda was magna at Mount Holyoke; Stephen was summa at Harvard. They met at Yale Law School.
– Like Team Treuille-Wachtell, they’ll both begin jobs as associates this fall. Amanda will be at Wiley Rein, and Stephen will be at Mayer Brown.
– Stephen clerked for Judge Stephen Williams of the DC Circuit. He also — Prestigious Credential Alert! — was a Rhodes Scholar, earning a degree in philosophy, politics, and economics.
The Case Against:
– Although we pass no judgment on this groom (or on Judge Williams), it has been our observation that there is a higher incidence of phatuousness among men named “Stephen” than men simply named “Steven.”
The Verdict:
This week’s contest comes down to Herb Wachtell versus Cecil Rhodes. It’s close. Mr. Wachtell holds a strong lead in the category of marriages, but he has not — yet — had a country named after him, or been stalked by a princess. We therefore give a slight edge to Mr. Rhodes, and accordingly to Team Schwoerke-Sachs. Congratulations!

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