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Musical Chairs: Kathy Ruemmler from Latham Back to DOJ

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Superstar litigatrix Kathryn Ruemmler, a litigation partner at Latham & Watkins and an Enron prosecutor before that, has been picked to serve as Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General in the Obama Justice Department. That title is a mouthful, but lawyers inside the Beltway know it’s a Big Deal.

The revolving door between the DOJ and Latham swings again. Ruemmler has traded places with another fierce female litigator: Alice Fisher, who rejoined the firm after heading up the Criminal Division.

As for Ruemmler, the government’s gain is Latham’s loss. Says one LW tipster: “She’s a really good lawyer, and a genuinely nice person. We’re very sorry to lose her.”

Kathy Ruemmler isn’t just a genial genius; she’s stylish, too. From the WSJ Law Blog, reporting on a day of the Ken Lay trial:

Speaking of footwear, the boldest fashion statement of the day — possibly rivaling O’Melveny paralegal Bill Evans’s goth getup for the gutsiest sartorial move of the week — came from the government’s Ruemmler. The deputy director of the Enron Task Force, who won convictions against four Merrill Lynch bankers in the 2004 Nigerian Barge case, paired a conservative gray suit with stunning 4-inch bright pink stiletto spikes.

Litigatrix indeed. Just because you work for the DOJ doesn’t mean you have to shop at DSW.

There’s a lot of diversity in Obama’s Department picks so far. Eric Holder, nominated to serve as Attorney General, is African-Amercan. Elena Kagan and Dawn Johnsen, nominated to serve as, respectively, Solicitor General and head of the Office of Legal Counsel, are women.

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The full memo about Ruemmler’s move, after the jump.

LATHAM & WATKINS — MEMORANDUM — KATHY RUEMMLER

From: Bernthal, Eric (DC)

Sent: Friday, January 16, 2009 1:38 PM

Sponsored

To: #DC ALL PERSONNEL

Subject: Announcement

I’m delighted to announce that our partner, Kathy Ruemmler, has been selected to serve as the Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General in the Justice Department. This is a vitally important, prestigious senior position within the Department.

Kathy’s contributions and impact here have been remarkable since she returned to Latham from her last tour in government service. We are all very grateful for her great spirit, professional excellence, and collegiality. We will all miss Kathy, of course, but it’s certainly our collective good fortune to have Kathy serving our country in such a critical position at this difficult time in our history.

Kathy is going to have to leave us almost immediately to assume her new role, so please stop by today to wish her well.

Kathryn H. Ruemmler [Latham & Watkins]

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