Musical Chairs: Bob Bauer Out and Kathy Ruemmler In as White House Counsel

Big news out of Washington today: Bob Bauer is stepping down as White House counsel. He’s returning to his former firm, Perkins Coie, where he will represent Barack Obama as his personal lawyer and serve as general counsel to President Obama’s re-election campaign. Bauer is being replaced by his top deputy, leading litigatrix Kathryn Ruemmler.

Kathy Ruemmler is no stranger to these pages. She’s famous for her role as a lead prosecutrix in the Enron fraud case — and for her fabulous footwear.

Let’s learn more about Ruemmler’s shoes — are they peep-toes? — and review her impressive résumé….

We’ll start with the boring stuff: Ruemmler’s credentials. She has had a remarkable legal career, moving seamlessly between private practice and the public sector. Before joining the White House counsel’s office, she served as principal associate deputy attorney general at the Justice Department (a move we reported here). Prior to that, she was a litigation partner at Latham & Watkins, as well as an assistant U.S. attorney in D.C.

This is not Ruemmler’s first tour of duty at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. She also served in the White House counsel’s office under President Bill Clinton, a busy time for White House lawyers.

In addition to her legal skills, Kathy Ruemmler has a sparkling personality. As a former Latham colleague told ATL when she left for the DOJ, “She’s a really good lawyer, and a genuinely nice person. We’re very sorry to lose her.”

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Now, about those shoes. For discussion of this weighty subject, we yield the floor to the Wall Street Journal Law Blog, which reported as follows while covering the trial of former Enron CEO Ken Lay:

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.

Good luck to Kathy Ruemmler in her new post — although we doubt she’ll need it. Mess with pink stilettos at your peril!

Bauer leaving, Ruemmler in as White House counsel [Associated Press]
White House Counsel Bob Bauer Resigns; Top Deputy Will Replace Him [ABA Journal]
White House Counsel: Robert Bauer Out, Ruemmler In [WSJ Law Blog]

Earlier: Prior ATL coverage of Kathy Ruemmler

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