Above the Law's 2015 Lawyer Of The Year Contest: The Finalists!
Time to cast your vote!
Thanks to everyone who responded, in comments or by email, to our request for nominations for 2015 Lawyer of the Year. We narrowed the many excellent nominees to a slate of eight fascinating lawyers — distinguished, despicable, or debatable, depending on your point of view.
Here are the nominees, in alphabetical order, with a brief blurb about each:
Preet Bharara. The U.S. Attorney for the S.D.N.Y., a finalist for 2013 Lawyer of the Year honors, is back in competition after a momentous 2015. His office scored big wins when two of New York State’s most powerful politicians, former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, got convicted on corruption charges. Bharara’s future is bright; as I told the Wall Street Journal, “If Preet Bharara is interested in running for office, Sheldon Silver [is] quite a nice trophy.”
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Mary Bonauto. One of 2015’s most momentous decisions was the Supreme Court’s ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which established nationwide marriage equality (sorry, Roy Moore). Congratulations to Bonauto, Civil Rights Project Director at Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), who successfully argued the case — the culmination of her many years working tirelessly in favor of the freedom to marry.
Even Greebel. This Biglaw partner (currently at Kaye Scholer, formerly at Katten Muchin Rosenman) made headlines in December after he got arrested on federal securities fraud charges along with his notorious client, “Pharma bro” Martin Shkreli. Greebel’s prosecution will surely raise interesting questions about what lawyers can and can’t do when representing their clients.
Justice Anthony M. Kennedy. Whether you vote for Bonauto or Kennedy depends on who you think deserves credit for marriage equality, the lawyers or the judges. Justice Kennedy, of course, wrote the landmark SCOTUS opinion in Obergefell — the fourth in a series of major opinions he’s penned vindicating gay rights. As I wrote when I predicted that the case would come down on June 26, “handing down Obergefell on June 26 would basically turn that day into Justice Anthony M. Kennedy Day for the LGBT community.”
Marilyn Mosby. The Baltimore State’s Attorney won praise for being courageous and criticism for overreaching when she charged half a dozen police officers in the death of Freddie Gray. Fun fact about her, from my colleague Staci Zaretsky: Mosby “has been a legal all-star for much of her adult life. Not only did she file charges against police officers in the death of Freddie Gray, but she won a case in front of Judge Judy.”
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Kevin Steele. First we gave you prosecutor Mosby, now we give you prosecutor Cosby. Steele, the new District Attorney for Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, made major news in the last week of 2015 by bringing sexual assault charges against once beloved and now disgraced comedian Bill Cosby.
Eric Schneiderman. Hero or villain? Your view of New York’s Attorney General might depend on what you think of the legal war he’s waging against FanDuel and DraftKings, two leading fantasy-sports companies — a fight that will shape the development of this growing industry and pastime enjoyed by many sports-obsessed Americans.
Bryan Wilson. We’ve known (and written about) Wilson, aka the “Texas Law Hawk,” for years. But last year was when Wilson’s hilariously unhinged video ads went mainstream, earning coverage from CNN among other outlets.
Who should be named Above the Law’s Lawyer of the Year for 2015? Debate in the comments, then vote. We’ll leave polls open until SUNDAY, JANUARY 10, 2015 at 11:59 P.M. (Eastern time). Thanks!
Who should be named Above the Law’s Lawyer of the Year for 2015?
- Bryan Wilson (22%, 82 Votes)
- Mary Bonauto (22%, 81 Votes)
- Preet Bharara (21%, 78 Votes)
- Eric Schneiderman (12%, 44 Votes)
- Justice Anthony M. Kennedy (11%, 43 Votes)
- Marilyn Mosby (6%, 23 Votes)
- Even Greebel (5%, 18 Votes)
- Kevin Steele (2%, 6 Votes)
Total Voters: 375
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