Some of you have wondered about the delay in choosing finalists for the ATL Caption Contest. We did not forget about it; we just wanted to save a little Easter for April, the proper month for the holiday. Easter in March is just plain wrong.

As a refresher, this is the photo of President Bush and his White House Counsel -- Fred Fielding, former senior partner at Wiley Rein (fka Wiley Rein & Fielding), dressed up as the Easter Bunny -- at the White House Easter Egg Roll last month. Without further ado, out of 200 comments, these are our ten finalists. [FN1]

A. "I left a firm with over $4 million in PPP to do THIS???" -Anonymous

B. The Mad Hatter and the March Hare discuss the legality of waterboarding the Dormouse. -Klerk

C. "Mr. President, I wanted to let you know that I put the last of those White House e-mails down the rabbit hole." -Anonymous

D. Yeah, well, nobody wants to be the guy that told the POTUS there is no Easter Bunny and Cheney said that if I play along I'll get a Supreme Court nomination. Hey, whatever happened with that Harriet woman? -Anonymous

E. I dressed up in this bunny suit and all I got was a feature on ATL. -Anonymous

F. After ignoring the rule of law for seven years, President Bush finally found a use for the White House Counsel. -Anonymous

G. "Someone please tell me that's not a wombat behind me." -Anonymous

H. I guess that answers the question of whether its better to get a JD or an MBA. -Anonymous

I. Fred (thinking): "That f-n headhunter promised me I would be supporting the President on matters of national importance. G-d D-MN it!" -Anonymous

J. George: Why do you wear that stupid bunny suit?
Bunny: Why do you wear that stupid man suit? -133t

We invite you to vote for the winner after the jump. Poll closes at midnight tomorrow.

[FN1] There were many funny comments, but we exercised a bias in favor of those with a legal connection.

Earlier: ATL Caption Contest: Mr. Easter Bunny, White House Counsel Fred Fielding
The rabbit behind the man: White House counsel Fred Fielding [Washington Post]

Here's a photo of President Bush and his White House Counsel -- Fred Fielding, former senior partner at Wiley Rein (fka Wiley Rein & Fielding), dressed up as the Easter Bunny -- at the White House Easter Egg Roll earlier this week:

Quips our tipster: "One can only hope Fielding isn't splitting hares. Or giving hare-brained advice."

Okay, you're groaning. Think you can do better? Then enter the ATL caption contest. Same rules as before:

We welcome your suggested alternative captions, in the comments. Assuming sufficient response, we'll take our favorites, incorporate them into a poll, and hold a caption contest.

We doubt we'll receive as many submissions as we did for our last caption contest. But we're going to limit the entries this time: we're closing the comments if and when we hit the 100-comment mark. So if you'd like to enter the contest, don't delay. Thanks.

Update (2 PM): Okay, we'll let it get up to 200 comments. We especially appreciate suggested captions that are in some way law-related. What makes this picture relevant to ATL is the fact that the man in the bunny suit is President Bush's chief lawyer (and a former name partner of a leading D.C. law firm).

If we just wanted to post a random, funny photo of the president with the Easter bunny, we would have used this one.

Update (4:50 PM): You seem to be having a lot of fun with this, so we will keep the comments open indefinitely. But in picking the finalists, we will focus on comments that have a connection to the legal profession (as opposed to comments that are more politically oriented or simply random).

Update (3/31/08): Thanks for all the excellent entries. The comments section is now closed.

The rabbit behind the man: White House counsel Fred Fielding [Washington Post]
Bush Hugging Bunny [Wonkette]

We've done relatively little about the nomination of former judge Michael Mukasey to serve as attorney general. While the WSJ Law Blog was dredging up his third-grade book reports -- okay, not quite, but some college newspaper articles that he may or may not have written -- we didn't have much. But now we'd like to atone for that, with a piece we just did for the New York Observer.

We speculate that Michael Mukasey might be in D.C. longer than he might expect, especially if his good friend Rudy Giuliani wins the presidency (and possibly even if fellow New Yorker Hillary Clinton does). We discuss how he might have come to be picked as AG, despite not being a D.C. denizen like Ted Olson, Laurence Silberman, or George Terwilliger:

Mr. Mukasey was simply more of a known quantity to the White House than the typical Beltway outsider. The White House staff includes three former assistant U.S. attorneys from Manhattan, as well as other ex-New York lawyers who regularly practiced before Mukasey as a judge. Among the New Yorkers at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Mr. Mukasey enjoyed great respect, and was viewed as ideologically acceptable too, especially on war on terror issues.

The rest of the piece, including a discussion of what might be called the Curse of the Southern District (from President Bush's point of view), is available here.

Mr. Mukasey Goes to Washington [New York Observer]
An Old Friend Joins Giuliani in a Spotlight [New York Times]

Lawyers are living large, not just in Miami and New York, but in Washington, too.

The Luxury Homes column, in the current issue of Washingtonian magazine, features the recent real estate purchases of two prominent lawyers. First up: political and legal commentator Laura Ingraham, who has a pretty amazing resume (UVA Law, Clarence Thomas clerkship, Skadden), especially by radio personality standards:

Conservative pundit and radio host Laura Ingraham sold a three-bedroom, four-bath Colonial rowhouse on 28th Street in Woodley Park for $1.3 million. Built in 1922, the renovated home has an in-law suite, two kitchens, and a skylit master bedroom. The Laura Ingraham Show is broadcast on 340 radio stations nationwide.

Very nice. Next up: another conservative legal celebrity, Fred Fielding:

White House counsel Fred Fielding and his wife, Maria, sold a five-bedroom, six-bath Colonial in Arlington's Country Club Hills for $1.8 million. The house has embassy-size entertaining rooms. Before joining the Bush administration in January, Fielding was a senior partner at Wiley Rein (formerly Wiley Rein & Fielding).

Despite the "embassy-size entertaining rooms," a sub-$2 million house seems a tad underwhelming, especially for a former name partner of 2006's most profitable law firm. Are the Fieldings trading up to bigger digs?

Using a combination of internet resources, we tracked down what we believe to be the houses in question, on Zillow. You can check out the listings, with pics, after the jump.

Earlier we covered Harriet Miers impending date with destiny in the form of the House Judiciary Committee. Well, it looks like Miers needed some more time to polish up on her French.

From the report from AP via the Reno Gazette-Journal on the hearing that went down sans Miers:

A House panel cleared the way Thursday for contempt proceedings against former White House counsel Harriet Miers after she obeyed President Bush and skipped a hearing on the firings of federal prosecutors.

Addressing the empty chair where Miers had been subpoenaed to testify, Rep. Linda Sanchez ruled out of order Bush’s executive privilege claim that his former advisers are immune from being summoned before Congress.

The contempt issue would go next to the full Judiciary Committee, and ultimately to the entire House.

You at least have to admire Miers for going all the way in following Bush's order, instead of the I'm-testifying-but-not-really tapdance that Sara Taylor attempted yesterday.

One of the biggest legal and political stories today is the congressional testimony of Sara Taylor, former White House political director. Taylor declined to answer a number of questions, based on executive privilege.

We'll leave substantive discussion of the Taylor testimony to others, and focus instead on matters of style. From a tipster:

"Check out this photo essay. I don't mean to sound catty, but shouldn't she have used Monica Goodling's stylist?"

We agree wholeheartedly. Screw executive privilege -- what about stylist's privilege?

We comment on some of the Sara Taylor photos, after the jump.

We recently got to meet former White House counsel Harriet Miers, up close and personal. And it seems we're not the only folks who will get to spend quality time with the onetime (and ill-fated) Supreme Court nominee.

This just in, from the AP:

Two congressional committees are issuing subpoenas for testimony from former White House counsel Harriet Miers and former political director Sara Taylor on their roles in the firings of eight federal prosecutors, according to two officials familiar with the investigation....

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy of Vermont issued Taylor's subpoena for her testimony July 11. His counterpart in the House, Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers of Michigan, issued a subpoena for Miers' testimony the next day.

A little bit more, after the jump.

Some hiring news from the White House counsel's office, via the WSJ Law Blog:

Though many of these White House hires have been reported already elsewhere, its press office issued an official release -- dateline "Rostock, Germany" -- announcing nine lawyers White House Counsel Fred Fielding has added to his "great little law firm."

President Bush has named J. Michael Farren, former general counsel of Xerox, to succeed William Kelley as deputy counsel. Kelley is returning to Notre Dame University later this month. Farren has long ties to the Bush family. He served in various roles under Bush I.

New special counsels are William Burck, who's returned to the White House from the DOJ, and Emmet Flood, who comes from Williams & Connolly. The six new associate counsels are Kate Todd (pictured) , Amy Dunathan and Al Lambert, all from Fielding's old firm, now called Wiley Rein (it dropped the Fielding); Scott Coffina, formerly a partner at Montgomery McCracken in Philly; Francis Hoang, an associate at Williams & Connolly and Michael Purpura, a top aide to deputy AG Paul McNulty. McNulty resigned amid the controversy over the firing of U.S. Attorneys.

A fun factoid: France Hong is one of D.C.'s most eligible bachelors, according to Washingtonian magazine. And he snagged that honor even before landing the coveted credential of a White House perch.

Personnel Announcement [White House]
White House Staffs Up Its "Great Little Law Firm" [WSJ Law Blog]
France Hoang, 32 [Washingtonian]

Earlier: Musical Chairs: Fred Fielding Beefs Up the White House Counsel's Office
Prior ATL coverage of the White House Counsel's Office (scroll down)

We're about to sit down and enjoy a sandwich we just picked up from Cosi. If it's good enough for the Chief Justice, it's good enough for us.

Normally we'd wash our hands first. But not today.

Why? Because we just met Harriet Miers -- and shook her hand!

We were crossing the street at 15th and L Streets in downtown Washington, shortly after 2 PM today. Walking towards us were three well-dressed, older lawyers: two tall men, and a much shorter woman.

We had that feeling of "we know her from somewhere." And suddenly it hit us:

ATL: "Oh my goodness. You're Harriet Miers!!!"

HEM: "Yes."

ATL: "Wow, I'm a huge fan of yours. Thank you for all of your great work!"

We then shook hands with the former Supreme Court nominee. Her handshake was just right: firm, but far from crushing.

More details from this sighting, after the jump.

There was much speculation about where former White House counsel Harriet Miers, of the ill-fated Supreme Court nomination, would wind up.

Would Miers oversee the George W. Bush Presidential Library at her alma mater, SMU? Would she be nominated to the Fifth Circuit? Would she launch a new line of high-end eye make-up?

The suspense is now over. From the Dallas Morning News:

Ex-White House counsel and U.S. Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers will rejoin her old law firm, Locke Liddell & Sapp, the firm announced Wednesday.

Ms. Miers had helped run the firm, based in Houston and Dallas, before joining President Bush's staff in 2001. She will rejoin the firm's public policy group and litigation group on May 1.

A Locke Liddell official said she will be based in Washington D.C. but also have offices in Dallas and Austin.

Congratulations, Ms. Miers!

(But why is she staying in D.C.? Why not return to her home state of Texas, home to her former lover, Texas Supreme Court Justice Nathan Hecht? As we previously suggested, "If she returns to Texas, she may be able to stir the embers of his passion.")

Harriet Miers To Rejoin Locke Liddell [Dallas Morning News]

Here are some recent, noteworthy moves within the D.C. legal community:

Inside the Administration:

* Conservative legal superstar Jennifer Brosnahan has left the White House Counsel's office, where she was one of the more senior associate counsels, to become the new deputy general counsel at the Department of Transportation.

From government to private practice:

* As previously reported by Ken Vogel of The Politico, Michael Toner has left the Federal Election Commission, to build an election law practice at Bryan Cave (which, by the way, recently raised associate salaries).

Within the Fourth Estate:

* One of the most knowledgeable legal scribes around, Benjamin Wittes, is leaving the Washington Post, after some nine years at the venerable paper.

(Wittes, the author of Confirmation Wars (previously praised here), is currently on book leave from the Post. He's working on another book about the federal courts.)

FEC Revolving Door Swings Faster [The Politico]

Here's some (belated) news about notable moves at the Department of Justice and the White House:

New Arrivals at the DOJ:

We enjoy breathlessly reporting on the meteoric career trajectories of attractive women. And attractive men, too.

Over at Main Justice, two handsome gents have come onboard:

* The fresh-faced Thomas Dupree, Jr., formerly a partner in the Washington office of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, has joined the Justice Department as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Division.

For those of you outside the Beltway, being a DAAG is a big deal. Dupree, who is one of Washingtonian magazine's 40 top lawyers under 40, will oversee a staff of over 200.

* William Burck (above right, accepting bedsheets from anti-Cindy Sheehan protesters in Crawford, TX) -- a former Kozinski clerk and member of the Elect (OT 1999 / Kennedy), who should have been nominated as a White House hottie -- is leaving 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Burck, who served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Staff Secretary, is heading over to the DOJ's Criminal Division. We don't know the title of his new post; if you do, please drop us a line.

This marks a return for Burck to the DOJ, since he previously served as an assistant United States attorney in the magical Southern District of New York. Being at the Criminal Division means that he'll get to work with the fantabulous Alice Fisher -- one of the few DOJ divas who could hold her own against Shanetta Cutlar.

* Elizabeth Petrela Papez (at right), a blonde beauty and Kirkland & Ellis partner, is heading over to the Office of Legal Counsel (aka the Finishing School for the Elect). She will be serving as Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General.

DOJ Internal Promotion:

* Papez is filling a spot that was vacated due to a promotion. DOJ wunderkind Steven Engel -- like Bill Burck, a Yale Law School grad / Kozinski clerk / Kennedy clerk (OT 2001) -- has been promoted to Deputy Assistant Attorney General at the OLC. Steve Engel is married to another member of the Elect: Susan Engel (OT 2001/Scalia), yet another partner at K&E.

Conservative legal circles are so incestuous, aren't they?

White House Internal Promotion:

Actually, make that REALLY incestuous:

* Bill Burck's shoes in the White House are being filled by Brent McIntosh (previously described in these pages as "strappingly handsome"). McIntosh is, like Burck, another Yale Law grad and former Sullivan & Cromwell associate.

McIntosh is being promoted from within. He previously served in the White House Counsel's office. He is a former law clerk to two conservative legal heavyweights: Judges Dennis Jacobs (2d Cir.) and Laurence Silberman (D.C. Cir.).

White House Departure:

* Dabney Friedrich, who served as associate counsel to the President, will be nominated to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, according to the Legal Times.

(Dabney Friedrich was previously featured in a photo caption contest at Underneath Their Robes. Alas, due to her lack of familiarity with the movie American Pie, the "band camp" reference had to be explained to her by others.)

Bush to Nominate Former White House Associate Counsel to D.C. Court [Legal Times]

Fred Fielding, the former name partner of Wiley Rein & Fielding who is now settling in as White House counsel (for the second time), has brought in some reinforcements. They come from his former shop, Wiley Rein & Fielding (now known simply as Wiley Rein).

Three former Wiley Rein-sters, a partner and two associates, are joining Fielding over at the White House. They are:

1. Kate Comerford Todd (top right). This brilliant and beautiful member of the Elect (OT 2000/Thomas), whose husband is a current Supreme Court clerk (OT 2006/Alito), was a highly regarded young litigation partner at Wiley Rein.

Now Kate Todd is moving over to the White House. We're uncertain of her seniority level over there (deputy level?). If you know, please enlighten us.

2. Amy Dunathan. Comerford will be joined by the similarly delicious Amy Dunathan (at right). Dunathan worked on the Hill before going to law school, so she's a smart pick, given that the White House will be tangling quite a bit with the ascendant Democrats. She worked directly with Fielding on several projects during her time as a Wiley Rein associate.

3. Al Lambert. Lambert, also a former associate at Wiley Rein, brings a significant amount of experience in white-collar investigatory work -- which will come in handy at the White House nowadays. Lambert worked extensively on the David Safavian case, as well as other white-collar matters.

Congratulations and good luck to Comerford, Dunathan, and Lambert!

P.S. We can't find a photo of Al Lambert, which is why we don't engage in any lip-smacking over him.

Kathryn Comerford Todd bio [Wiley Rein via Google Cache]
Amy F. Dunathan bio [Wiley Rein via Google Cache]
Judge Throws Out Jury Verdict in Iraq Fraud Case [Wiley Rein]

* Over at the Justice Department, the bad-ass Shanetta Cutlar, Chief of the Special Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division, takes no prisoners.

* Not even summer interns can escape her wrath.

* But hey, at least they get to go back to school. Full-time attorneys can escape only by leaving the Section -- provided that Shanetta doesn't get to them first.

* Speaking of job changes, meet your new White House counsel: Fred Fielding, of Wiley Rein & Fielding (who served as White House counsel under President Reagan).

* Next time you go out for pizza, leave the corporate lawyers at home.

* Pentagon official Charles Stimson doesn't like how Guantanamo Bay detainees are getting pro bono representation from some of the country's top law firms. Don't they have better things to be doing with their pro bono time?

* Michael Nifong manages a Houdini-like escape from the debacle known as the Duke lacrosse team rape case.

* Celebrity law professors Noah Feldman and Jeannie Suk, whom you have just dubbed Feldsuk, have a really nice house.

* But not as nice as the $7 million mansion of patent lawyer Donald Stout (aerial view at right).

* Federal judicial nominees: Out with the old, in with the new.

* Chief Judge Michael Boudin (1st Cir.): You like him, you really like him.

* Maybe it's because he's such a big feeder judge. Interestingly enough, though, he has only placed one clerk so far at the Supreme Court for October Term 2007.*

(But Chief Judge Boudin feeds mostly to Justice Breyer and Justice Souter. The former isn't finished hiring yet, and the latter hasn't even started.)

We previously wrote about President Bush's selection of Fred Fielding as his new White House counsel. Our coverage was based on a pre-announcement scoop by Time, not an actual announcement from the White House.

Just to close the loop on this, the rumor was correct: Fielding's selection is now official. Here's the (predictably bland) White House press release.

From the New York Times:

Mr. Fielding’s agreement to take the job surprised some of his closest friends. The friends said last week, when his name surfaced as a contender for the position, that they would be surprised if he would give up a successful corporate practice for another stint of what promises to be heavy partisan battle at age 67.

Mr. Fielding was deputy counsel to President Richard M. Nixon under John W. Dean III and was White House counsel for the first five years of Ronald Reagan’s presidency.

Further discussion, plus speculation about the next Deputy White House Counsel, after the jump.

"You can stand them up at the gates of hell,
And they will back down."

A new Senate. A new White House counsel. And new hope for judicial nominees who might actually get confirmed. In our lifetimes.

The Bush Administration's four most controversial judicial nominees, referred to in some Senate Judiciary Committee circles as "the Radioactive Ones," are withdrawing (or have already pulled out, in the case of Michael Wallace). White House lawyers breathe sighs of relief, delighted by the prospect of saving some face.

From the AP:

In a concession to the Senate's new Democratic majority, four of President Bush's appeals court appointees have asked to have their nominations withdrawn, Republican officials said Tuesday.

These officials said that William Haynes, William Myers and Terrence Boyle had all decided to abandon their quest for confirmation. Another nominee, Michael Wallace, let it be known last month that he, too, had asked Bush to withdraw his nomination.

One has to wonder: Did all four willingly withdraw their names from consideration, or did they do so under some combination of pressure or pleading from the White House?

(Also, what will the ConfirmThem crew have to say about this?)

Bush Judicial Nominees Ask to Withdraw [Associated Press via How Appealing]
Breaking Judge News [NRO / The Corner]

* We took Eve Harrington's Jan Crawford Greenburg's quip that Justice Stevens told her when he was planning to retire as a joke. But not everyone did. [Volokh Conspiracy; Althouse]

* A juicy rumor. But who on earth could it be? [Concurring Opinions]

(Btw, congrats to Concurring Opinions on its one millionth visitor.)

* Former fashion designer Ilene Moses is on trial for allegedly defrauding banks of $26 million. But her design of fur-trimmed capes may be the more serious offense. [Associated Press]

* Fred Fielding will be taking a pay cut as White House counsel. But that's okay, 'cause he can afford it. [WSJ Law Blog]

* Drape an invisibility cloak over the Federal Register, and call it a day. [Wonkette]

* We recommend to you any blog post that contains the words "palpably fresh." [Crescat Sententia]

* Here's Blawg Review #90. [Minor Wisdom]

* We weren't the only ones who had a blast at last week's crazy law-blogger party! So did Miriam Cherry, whom we had the pleasure of meeting at the festivities. [PrawfsBlawg]

This just in, from Time:

In a signal that he could be open to working more closely with congressional Democrats rather than stonewalling, President Bush plans to name the widely respected Republican lawyer Fred F. Fielding as White House counsel this week, party sources tell TIME.

Fielding, who held the same position under President Ronald Reagan, will succeed the President's friend Harriet Miers, who last week announced her resignation, effective Jan. 31. An official who has been briefed on the impending announcement, which could come as soon as Tuesday, called Fielding "the ultimate Washington lawyer-insider — he's the man to see."

Some interesting comments from some of you in support of Fred Fielding:

"Fred Fielding. Bush needs an adult to deal with the children who are now running the Hill."

"[P]lenty of SCOTUS clerks are far too academic-minded to be successful litigators. What the President needs right now is a litigator, and I can't think of anyone better than Tim Flanigan, Fred Fielding, or Dick Wiley. One of those three would be my choice..."

Fielding is not among the Elect; in fact, it appears from his Wiley Rein & Fielding bio that he never clerked. But he's obviously a great pick for the job of White House counsel. He has a wealth of experience, both in litigation and in government, and he's one of the most well-connected lawyers in town. He previously served as White House counsel, from 1981 to 1986, under President Ronald Reagan.

Congratulations to Mr. Fielding on his new post -- and to President Bush for making such an excellent selection.

Exclusive: Bush Picks a Replacement for Harriet Miers [Time via Drudge Report]
Fred F. Fielding bio [Wiley Rein & Fielding]
Fred F. Fielding [Wikipedia]

Earlier: Harriet Miers: Farewell My Concubine Counsel
Breaking: Harriet Miers Has Resigned As White House Counsel!

Last week was short, thanks to the New Year's holiday; but it sure was busy. Here are some highlights from a very momentous week:

* No more jokes about Harriet Miers: the ill-fated ex-SCOTUS nominee has resigned as White House counsel. Speculation about her successor abounds.

* No more jokes about the Dewy Orifice: the ill-fated merger between Dewey Ballantine and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe has been called off.

* Turns out that Chief Justice Rehnquist was a painkiller junkie. Once, while suffering withdrawal symptoms, he tried to bust out of a hospital in his PJs.

* Chief Judge David Levi, of the Eastern District of California, will be the new Dean of Duke Law School.

* All About Jan? Just as the aging Margo Channing's reign over Broadway was threatened by the comely Eve Harrington, the aging Linda Greenhouse's reign over One First Street is being threatened by the comely Jan Crawford Greenburg.

* Who knew? Law professors and legal bloggers sure know how to party! Photos of drunken legal academics available here and here.

* Cravath partner John Beerbower has enjoyed some amazing apartments over the years. Cravath partnership + Wealthy wife = $20 million, Park Avenue pad.

* Who's your favorite First Circuit judge? Cast your vote here.

* If you're a right-winger hoping that Justice Stevens will step down soon, don't hold your breath.

* Today's D.C. Circuit: Despite the occasional catfight, it's not as bitchy as it used to be. Sigh.

* Oppressed law clerks, your Devil Wears Prada is on its way. Coming soon to a bookstore near you: Chambermaid, by former Third Circuit clerk Saira Rao.

President Bush famously described Harriet E. Miers, the outgoing White House counsel, as "a pit bull in size six shoes." Woof woof!

But some White House insiders viewed Harriet Miers as insufficiently canine. Per the Washington Post:

Miers, a longtime Bush loyalist whose nomination to the Supreme Court was withdrawn in 2005 as a result of conservative opposition, led an office that will oversee legal clashes that could erupt if Democrats aggressively use their new subpoena power. Bush advisers inside and outside the White House concluded that she is not equipped for such a battle....

The White House did not announce a replacement but has settled on someone to take on the assignment, according to several advisers who did not disclose the name.

If you have thoughts about who this person might be, we'd love to hear from you.

Further discussion and speculation, after the jump.