A Maryland state court judge has vacated a 1981 double murder conviction that Ropes & Gray counsel Ryan Malone '02 has worked on for 12 years as a pro bono case. Also a member of the team that worked to free the West Memphis Three, Malone estimates he works 500-600 pro bono hours per year. (American Lawyer) More

Virginia House of Delegates member Robert Bell '95 was profiled in the Richmond Times-Dispatch; Bell is running for state attorney general. (Richmond Times-Dispatch) More

Dickens “Deke” Mathieu '93 has been named Syracuse University's general counsel. (The Post Standard) More

The U.S. Senate confirmed William Schultz '74 as general counsel of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (HHS Press Office) More

California lawyer Harmeet Dhillon '93 is the first woman ever elected as vice chairman of the state's Republican Party. Dhillon hopes to expand the party, bringing new appeal to younger voters. (The Washington Times) More

U.S. Senator Angus King '69 reflects on working the "hardest he ever has in his life" during his first 100 days in office. King is the state's former two-term governor and thought he'd stepped away from politics for good. (The Portland Press Herald) More

Puerto Rico's former governor, Luis Fortuno '85, visited Larry Sabato's American Politics class to talk GOP strategies to recapture the Hispanic vote in upcoming elections. Fortuno thinks controlled immigration reform is key to future party success. (The Daily Progress) More

Longwood University has named UVA Miller Center Director W. Taylor Reveley IV '02 as its new president, June 1. Fellow Wahoo, Patrick Finnegan '79, resigned as Longwood's president last summer because of health problems. (Richmond Times-Dispatch) More

Northern Kentucky University named Jeffrey Standen '86 as its new dean of the Chase College of Law. Standen joins NKU from Willamette University in Salem, Ore. (Business Courier ) More

National Security Adviser Tom Donilon '85 advises President Obama, while his brother, Terry, is communications director for Boston's Cardinal Sean O'Malley, a papal contender. (Washington Post) More

West Virginia's first female magistrate judge, Mary Stanley '73, is stepping down after two decades on the bench. Before taking to the bench, Stanley litigated for 15 years as a prosecutor, favoring fraud and public corruption cases. (The Charleston Gazette) More

Robert Bauer '76 is one of the two pre-eminent election lawyers appointed by President Obama to a presidential commission tasked with examining and suggesting repairs to the nation's voting experience. (New York Times) More

Mort Caplin '40 has served on the board at Danaher since 1990, but the oldest corporate director at an S&P 500 company will devote his energies toward other passions come May. (Bloomberg.com) More

Jones Walker managing partner, William Hines '82, will reign as King of Carnival for the 2013 Rex Krewe for 24-hours during Mardi Gras festivities. Hines is a native New Orleanian and a long-time civic activist, involved in a staggering number of organizations and projects to further his beloved hometown. (The Times-Picayune) More

Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse '82 and lawyer and senior fellow of the Independent Women's Forum Gayle Trotter '95 debate the banning of high capacity weapons at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. (Washington Post) More

Independent, Freshman Senator Angus King '69 hits Washington with plans to draw upon his years as Maine's Governor to lessen partisanship in the nation's Capitol. (Daily Beast) More

In recent media appearances, NFL Players Association Chief DeMaurice Smith '89 Brings Players' Health Realities Front and Center (Washington Post) More

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano '83 will stay in her post as President Obama crosses into his second term. More

After nearly two decades as a judge in general district and circuit courts, Louis Sherman ’71 has retired. In addition to hearing thousands of cases-disputes over traffic tickets, evictions and trials for brutal murders-he has spent a great deal of his career in public service law. (Virginian-Pilot) More

Attorney James Bassett '82 was confirmed to the New Hampshire Supreme Court this spring. Bassett, who joined the five-member court as an associate justice, had been active in local government and has a reputation for his legal acumen and fairness. (Union Leader) More

Since Sept. 11, 2001, the US Attorney's office led by Neil MacBride '92 has become a hub for some of the highest-profile terrorism and national security cases in the country. MacBride’s 130+ prosecutors are currently working on cases that reach into more than 60 countries on six continents. (Washington Post) More

Virginia Beach attorney Kevin Martingayle '91 was voted the next president-elect of the Virginia State Bar after the organization's first contested election in 11 years. (Virginian Pilot) More

After a storied career as a deputy District Attorney and Superior Court Judge, the Honorable Charles Sheldon '57 may turn to writing crime fiction now that he's retired. Surviving death threats while prosecuting members of the mafia and nearly being slashed by a convicted murderer, the judge has plenty of memories to draw upon. ... (Contra Costa Times) More

"Rugby-Playing Texas Lawyer" Bob Latham '83 has published a collection of columns and essays, "Winners & Losers: Rants, Riffs & Reflections on the World of Sports." Latham has served as a member of the US Olympic Committee, chairman of USA Rugby, and International Rugby Board executive committee member -- while maintaining ... (Sacramento Bee) More

Robert Shelby ’98 was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the newest judge on the federal bench in Utah. Nominated last December, Shelby fills a vacancy court officials say was causing a judicial emergency. (The Salt Lake Tribune) More

U.S. Senate candidate and two-term governor of Maine, Angus King '69, considers himself part of the moderate majority. (Portland Press Herald) More

National Security Adviser Thomas Donilon '85 has an especially challenging job managing America's foreign policy during the presidential campaign and election. (New York Times) More

Geoff Mearns '87 was a high school track star who went on to break an Olympic gold medalist's indoor two-mile record as a college freshman, and to qualify for the 1984 Olympic Trials while in law school. Mearns, the new president of Northern Kentucky University, sees the parallels between law and endurance running. (The Cleveland Plain Dealer) More

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania's Chief Justice, Ron Castille '71, has been unpredictable for his entire legal and political career. While awaiting the ruling on the state's controversial Voter ID case, predictions about Castille's vote were under examination. (WHYY Newsworks ) More

In June Media General sold more than 60 newspapers and publications, streamlining its holdings to mostly broadcast and digital media. The company's vice president for growth and performance, George Mahoney '78, will take the helm as CEO in January, and will set about to deliver growth and margin improvements in the television ... (Richmond Times-Dispatch) More

Florida's Attorney General has named Timothy Osterhaus '97 as the state's new solicitor general. The SG represents the state before appellate courts including the Florida and United States Supreme Courts. (Miami Herald) More

Los Angeles attorney Don Cornwell '78 first encountered wine counterfeiting in 1986. Since then he has worked tirelessly to unearth fraud in the world of old and rare wines and to warn those who might pay thousands for a scarce bottle of unknown provenance. (Huffington Post) More

Charles L. Becton, LL.M. '86, an attorney and former judge on the N.C. Court of Appeals is now interim chancellor of N.C. Central University. The former judge recently served as the John Scott Cansler Lecturer at the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Law and a visiting professor at the Duke University School of Law. (Raleigh News Observer) More

For years sports agent Rob Plummer '94 has dealt with the "fluidity" of signing young baseball recruits from the Dominican Republic. Twenty percent of all Major League Baseball players come from the D.R. Plummer took part in a documentary about the "industry," Ballplayer: Pelotero. Yahoo Sports takes a look at the film, ... (Yahoo Sports) More

New York Life CEO Ted Mathas '92 became CEO of New York Life Insurance Company in 2008 after becoming president in 2007. Forbes recently recognized Mathas as one of America's youngest CEOs. (Forbes) More

Washington D.C. lawyer, Beth Wilkinson '87, has been hired by the FTC to determine if Google has abused power and manipulated its search results and if a formal case should be brought against the technology giant. (New York Times) More

William B. Schultz '74 has been nominated by President Obama to serve as general counsel of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Schultz is currently serving as principal deputy GC and acting GC for HHS. Prior to joining the department, he was a partner at Zuckerman Spaeder from 2001 to 2011, after having served in multiple government administrative posts. (The White House) More

Geoffrey Mearns '87 was selected as the next president of Northern Kentucky University, a public institution with more than 15,000 students. Mearns has served in the administration of Cleveland State University for six years and prior to that was a federal prosecutor and in private practice. (Cleveland Live) More

When Toby Mergler '07 found his legal job ending, he seized the opportunity to pursue his entrepreneurial dream -- starting an online fantasy sports business that lets players compete across different sports. (Washington Times) More

Appointed by President Reagan in 1984, Judge Robert Beezer '56 heard more than 10,000 cases on the nation’s largest federal appeals court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The circuit covers nine Western states and two Pacific territories. (New York Times) More

As counsel to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Brig. Gen. Richard Gross '93, focuses on international law and the law of armed conflict. He and his staff work to interpret laws and policies that dictate when the military can and can't use force. (Knoxville News Sentinel) More

Claire Guthrie Gastanaga '74 of cg2 consulting in Richmond, has been named as the next executive director of the ACLU of Virginia. (Richmond Times-Dispatch) More

The retiring Honorable Randall Shepard LL.M. '95 has stepped down as Indiana's Chief Justice. Shepard is the longest serving state chief justice in the nation. (News Sentinel) More

A member of the Court since 2002, Asher Grunis LL.M. '72 was sworn in as the president of the Supreme Court of Israel. Before appointing Grunis, who turns 70 in just under three years, lawmakers had to pass the "Grunis Law," which overturned the minimum three-year term for presidents of the Court. (The Times of Israel) More

Senior Corporate Counsel of Safeway, Inc., Valerie Lewis '82, is up for a Community Championship Award, according to the San Francisco Business Times. At work Lewis uses both her undergrad degree in Biology and her law degree. Because of her efforts at work and in the community, Lewis is recognized as a leader in retail and ... (San Francisco Business Times) More

Christopher Burke '97, senior executive for Black Hills Energy in Pueblo, Colo., was featured in the Pueblo Chieftain in honor of Black History Month. "... I've traveled the world, both in the Navy and as a businessman, and despite our problems and flaws, there is no other country that offers its citizens the kind of opportunity ... More

PGA Tour's Tim Finchem '73 discusses his career in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. (Richmond Times-Dispatch) More

Matthew O'Connell '79, chronicles his career from lawyer to chief executive officer of GeoEye in the NYT Job Market section. GeoEye is a source of "geospatial information and insight for decision makers and analysts who need a clear understanding of our changing world to protect lives, manage risk, and optimize resources." (New York Times) More

Judge Elissa F. Cadish '89 has been a district court judge on the Eighth Judicial District Court of Nevada, based in Las Vegas, since 2007. President Obama has nominated her to the United States District Court for the District of Nevada. (White House) More

Marc Berger '99, a veteran federal prosecutor, is the new chief of the securities fraud unit for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan. Berger will supervise a team that has brought a series of high profile insider trading prosecutions against hedge fund traders and other corporate insiders. (New York Times) More

Longtime Morgan Stanley deal maker Charles Cory '82 was featured on NYT's DealBook for his finesse and leadership in a flurry of mergers and acquisitions deals. Cory had until recently been on sabbatical from the firm and taught courses on acquisitions and capital markets at the Law School. (New York Times) More

Washington D.C. lawyer Trevor Potter '82 discusses Stephen Colbert's super-PAC efforts in a New York Times Magazine piece on Colbert. Potter is now a regular on the show and besides having fun, thinks Colbert is serving a useful function. ". . . he's illustrating how the system works by using it." (New York Times) More

Timothy J. Heaphy '91, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, has been appointed by U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. to a two-year term on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee. (Daily Progress) More

CNN featured U.S. Army Maj. Frank Rosenblatt '06 and his wife, Alexandra '06, in a story about his latest deployment to Iraq, his first as a husband and father. (CNN) More

CNN features Maj. Franklin Rosenblatt '06, the last U.S. Army Judge Advocate to serve in Kirkuk, in a story about how troops in Iraq are going to court to win justice for a U.S. soldier who was killed. (CNN.com) More

President Barack Obama has nominated Salt Lake City lawyer Robert Shelby '98 to serve as U.S. District Judge for the District of Utah. (Salt Lake Tribune) More

PETA, along with marine-mammal experts and trainers, is filing the first case of its kind against Sea World for allegedly violating the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution as it pertains to the treatment of killer whales. Jeffrey Kerr '87 serves as PETA's general counsel. (LA Times) More

The CIA museum now features a letter that the father of Dennis Helms '67 penned on Adolph Hitler's stationery. Richard Helms was among the founders of the CIA and served as director from 1966-73. He wrote his young son a letter on that stationery at the end of World War II, while serving in the OSS. (Washington Post) More

The "Controversy and Leadership: The Senatorial Papers and Oral History Project of Lowell P. Weicker Jr." opens at the University of Virginia Special Collections Library this week. Lowell Weicker '58 served one term in the House before serving three in the Senate, and then as Governor of Connecticut for four years. He and the University ... (Connecticut Post ) More

Memphis native John Paul Jones '48 has been involved with journalism from multiple angles. Born into a newspaper publishing family, he was also called to the law and wanted a career in both of what he says are "the two most non-respected professions in America, journalists and lawyers." For years Jones was publisher of the Daily News while practicing transportation law from an office next door to the paper. (The Daily News ) More

The death of Martin Luther King Jr. spurred Sheila Jackson Lee '75 from her secretarial career aspirations to a career in corporate law, the bench, and later, politics. Congresswoman Jackson Lee (D-Texas) is serving her ninth term as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. (Houston Chronicle) More

President Barack Obama will nominate The Virginian-Pilot publisher Maurice Jones '92 as deputy secretary for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Jones, publisher of The Pilot since 2008, has served as commissioner of the Virginia Department of Social Services and deputy chief of staff to then-Gov. Mark Warner. ... (The Virginian-Pilot) More

Robert Ballou '87, of Johnson Ayers & Matthews in Roanoke, was selected by U.S. District Court judges to fill a vacancy as a magistrate judge for the federal courts in Western Virginia. (The Roanoke Times) More

President Barack Obama has nominated Kevin A. Ohlson '85 for judge of the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. Ohlson currently serves as chief of the Professional Misconduct Review Unit in the Department of Justice. Until earlier this year he was chief of staff and counselor to U. S. Attorney General Eric Holder. ... (The White House) More

Ohio State Senator Tim Grendell LL.M. '83 was appointed by Governor John Kasich to serve as the Geauga County Probate/Juvenile Court judge. The Cleveland-area native has served the Ohio Senate, where he chairs the Judiciary–Criminal Justice Committee, since 2004. (The News-Herald) More

Sports management expert Donald Yee '87 strongly contends that the NCAA has outlived its usefulness. Yee believes the organization stands in the way of college sports reform and does not serve as a credible regulator. (Cleveland Plain Dealer) More

President Barack Obama is sending Washington lawyer Mark Brzezinski '91 to Sweden to serve as U.S. ambassador. Brzezinski has been manager of the international law practice at McGuireWoods in D.C. He now awaits Senate confirmation to the post of ambassador. (Legal Times) More

Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Robert L. Brown '68, on the court since 1991, is retiring two years before his term expires.Arkansas law requires justices to forfeit their retirement benefits if they seek office past the age of 70. Brown has written more than 1,220 majority opinions for the court, including a 1994 decision that ... (Arkansas News) More

Career Prosecutor Lisa Friel '83, most recently the chief of the Manhattan DA's Sex Crimes Unit, is joining T & M Protection Resources. Friel will head the company's new division which offers sexual assualt education and investigative service to university and corporations. (New York Times) More

Florida freshman legislator Dana Young '93 is credited with getting an important pro-business bill passed in the Florida legislature. The bill eliminates costly background security procedures unique to the state, making Florida ports more competitive. (Gulf Coast Business Review ) More

Advocacy groups have formed a coalition and are rallying against potential cuts to the Supplemental Security Income program for severely disabled children. Rebecca Vallas '09 is a lawyer at Community Legal Services in Philadelphia which is part of that coalition. Vallas says cutting the SSI program could have disastrous consequences ... (NPR) More

Elaine R. Jones '70, former president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, will receive the ABA's Thurgood Marshall Award for her “substantial, long-term contributions to the advancement of civil rights, civil liberties, and human rights in the U.S.” Jones was counsel of record ... (The Defenders Online (LDF)) More

Cleo Elaine Powell '82 has been elected to the Supreme Court of Virginia. Powell is the first African-American woman to sit on the Commonwealth's highest court. She has held the same historical distinction on a county general district court, a different county's circuit court, and the Court of Appeals for Virginia. (Washington Post) More

NFL players are reporting to training camps, thanks to DeMaurice Smith '89, Executive Director of the NFL Players Association. Smith has worked tirelessly with players and owners to find the common ground needed to end the months-long walkout. (Washington Post) More

U.S. EPA attorney Stefania Shamet '89 received the agency's most prestigious national award recognizing work to protect wetlands. Shamet is credited with representing the agency in "some of the most environmentally significant, legally complex, and politically sensitive water and wetlands matters.” (PhillyBurbs.com) More

Once hailed as a "revolutionary sports agent," Donald Dell '64 offers some backstory around his successes, as well as lessons learned throughout his tennis career and the founding of ProServe. (Washington Post) More

Citing Judge Gale's "unwavering integrity and a firm commitment to public service," President Obama nominated Joseph Gale '80 for a second term on the United States Tax Court. Prior to his first appointment, Gale was Minority Staff Director and Chief Counsel of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. (WhiteHouse.gov) More

Sullivan & Cromwell partner Frederic Rich ’81, along with Latham partner William Voge, describe the experience of working out the funding on an $18 billion liquefied natural gas project in Papua New Guinea, one of the most remote locations on earth. (American Lawyer) More

Hogan Lovells corporate partner William Curtin III '96 was noted for his work as the lead lawyer on Ford Motor Company's $1.8 billion sale of Volvo last year. In American Lawyer he addresses the challenges in cross border transactional work, as well as the future of the international M&A market. (American Lawyer) More

The National Law Journal named Stephanie Tsacoumis '81, general counsel for Georgetown University, as one of the 20 most influential in-house attorneys in the country. More

The National Law Journal included Jeffrey Ferguson '91, managing director and general counsel of The Carlyle Group, as one of the 20 most influential in-house attorneys. More

Randal J. Kirk '79, is a local lawyer turned entrepreneur who, according to Forbes, is worth about $2.2 billion, nearly all from a decade or so of venture investing, company building and dealmaking. (The Deal Magazine) More

Bob Bauer '76 to step down as White House Counsel and return to private practice at Perkins Coie in Washington, D.C. The move will enable Bauer to serve as general counsel to the President's reelection campaign, general counsel to the Democratic National Committee, and personal lawyer to President Obama. (The White House) More

Owen Pell '83 received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the State University of New York and delivered the commencement address at Binghamton University on May 22. Pell's speech emphasized finding a good mentor as well as being a good mentee. More

Justice Denise Johnson LL.M. '95 steps down after two decades on Vermont Supreme Court. Johnson was the first female justice to serve on the court and is cited as a "civil rights giant." (Burlington Free Press) More

John Tredennick '79 is one of CNNMoney's "accidental entrepreneurs" of note. Tredennick was practicing at Holland & Hart in Denver when he created a computer system that allowed employees to share files digitally, between offices. He is now CEO of Catalyst Repository Systems. (CNNMoney) More

The U.S. Senate has confirmed Judge Michael Urbanski '81 of Roanoke to serve as a federal judge for the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Virginia. (Virginia Business ) More

President Obama announced he is seeking a two-year extension for the 10-year term of FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III '73 which expires on September 4, 2011. Mueller is the sixth person to have served as FBI director. (New York Times) More

Two members of the three-judge U.S. appeals panel assigned to review the first appellate argument on the legality of requiring Americans to buy health insurance are UVA Law alumni. Judges Diana Gribbon Motz '68 and James Wynn Jr., LL.M. '95, are hearing the case, along with Judge Andre Davis. (Bloomberg) More

FBI Director Robert Mueller '73 stepped into that role seven days before 9/11/01. In the decade since, he's led the FBI as it modernizes its methods while fighting heightened challenges, domestic and foreign. (TIME) More

National Security Adviser Thomas E. Donilon '85 played a central role in organizing the Obama administration’s planning of the U.S. attack that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. ( The Providence Journal) More

A Q & A with Timothy Heaphy '91, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, focuses on his efforts to target crime prevention as community outreach. (GoDanRiver.com) More

David E. Patton '99, a visiting law professor at Stanford University, has been named the new head of New York’s influential federal public defender’s office. More

Judge Ralph Gingles '71 took part in a landmark Voting Rights Act case in the 1980s that made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court and paved the way for many African-American elected officials in N.C. and across the country. (Charlotte Observer) More

Former Sen. John Warner '53 reflects on being married to Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor as an "extraordinary chapter" in his life. (MSN/Today Show) More

Noted legal scholar William Stuntz '84 passed away after a three-year battle with cancer. Stuntz, a professor at UVA Law for 14 years, wished for "mercy" to be a tenet of the nation's criminal justice system. (New York Times) More

The Tennessee Bar Association named Neil McBride '70 as its Ashley T. Wiltshire Public Service Attorney of the Year. McBride is general counsel for the Legal Aid Society and managing attorney of its Oak Ridge office. The award is given annually to an attorney who works with an organization that provides legal representation ... ( Business & Heritage Clarksville) More

Business lawyer J. Mitchell "Mickey" Aberman '84 is being hailed as a hero for saving a beloved independent video store from closing its doors in Charlotte, N.C. (Charlotte Observer) More

Chris Nasson '07 has joined the Northern Kentucky office of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Nasson said that during his first appearance in U.S. District Court it "hit him" that he had the job he wanted since law school. (Zanesville Times Recorder) More

The successes of Gov. Luis Fortuno '85, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, are creating political buzz in the middle of his first four-year term as Puerto Rico’s chief executive. ( The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ) More

Former Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh '81 is joining McGuireWoods as a partner in Washington, D.C., and will serve as an adviser on policy matters to firm clients. Bayh is also now a senior adviser to Apollo Global Management in New York. (Wall Street Journal) More

A federal public defender since 1994, Natasha Perdew Silas '92 has been nominated by President Barack Obama to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. (The White House) More

Former Governor of Virginia and U.S. Senator George Allen '77 Announces Bid for GOP Nomination to U.S. Senate (Washington Post) More

Rock-Tenn Co., maker of packaging for food and consumer products led by James Rubright '72, has agreed to purchase Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. for $3.5 billion in cash and stock just seven months after Smurfit emerged from bankruptcy proceedings. The deal is an example of how companies are reborn in bankruptcy proceedings. (Wall Street Journal) More

Evan Bayh '81, the former senator from Indiana, has joined Apollo Global Management, a New York private equity firm, as a senior adviser with responsibility for public policy. (New York Times) More

Karla Hardy '10 is on loan from Hogan Lovells in Washington, D.C., in order to intern as an assistant district attorney in Anderson County, Texas. (Palestine Herald Press) More

Elena Parent '02 was sworn in as the new State Representative of Georgia's District 81. Her victory was significant, as Parent was the only Democrat on the state level to unseat a Republican, and one of fewer than 10 to accomplish the feat nationwide. (Champion FreePress) More

Sports Agent Donald Yee '87 was part of a discussion on the state of amateurism in college football, exploring ways to prevent the types of scandals that have hit programs involved in some of the biggest games during this bowl season. (NPR's All Things Considered) More

The Honorable John M. Roll LL.M. '90 was among the six people slain at an event hosted by U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson, Saturday. Ross, who served as chief judge of the U.S. District Court in Arizona, was appointed to the federal bench in 1991 by President George H.W. Bush. (New York Times) More

After four terms in the U.S. Senate, Christopher "Kit" Bond '63 has joined Thompson Coburn, a St. Louis-based law firm. (St. Louis Post Dispatch) More

As the new president of the Milwaukee branch of the NAACP, civil rights lawyer James H. Hall Jr. '79 has agreed to lead a group to "restore, reform, and revitalize" the controversy-steeped organization. (Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel) More

Carlton Reeves '89 was sworn in as a U.S. District Judge before a standing-room-only crowd in the largest courtroom in the U.S. District Courthouse in Jackson, Mississippi. (Clarion Ledger) More

U.S. Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond '63 is leaving public service after a 40-year political career, including serving as state auditor, Missouri's youngest governor and U.S. congressman (St. Louis Beacon). More

U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher '71 is wrapping up a 28-year career representing Southwest Virginia. Boucher was known on Capitol Hill for his work on the cutting edge of technology and telecommunications, and he consistently tried to use that knowledge to build a 21st-century economy in Southwest Virginia (Roanoke Times). More

Will Shortz '77 explained his path to becoming the world's most famous crossword puzzle editor in the New York Times blog Wordplay. More

Wells Fargo & Co., the fourth-largest U.S. lender by assets, hired John Fowler '86, who has led European health care at Deutsche Bank AG to expand its investment-banking division. More

Steve Newmark '96, formerly senior vice president of business operations at Roush Fenway Racing, has been named the organization’s new president. More

Leah Ward Sears LL.M. '95, retired chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court and partner at the Atlanta office of Schiff Hardin, argues that reducing the gap in marriage rates among low- and high-income Americans will renew the middle class (CNN Opinion). More

The U.S. Senate confirmed John Gibney Jr. '76 for a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. (Virginia Lawyers Weekly) More

President Obama appointed John Bridgeland '87 to the White House Council for Community Solutions. The Council will provide advice to the President on the best ways to mobilize citizens, nonprofits, businesses and government to work more effectively together to solve specific community needs. (White House) More

In his farewell address after 24 years in the U.S. Senate, Christopher "Kit" Bond '63, R-Mo., urged his colleagues to reach across the aisle. He observed that his main achievements over the years have come about largely when he teamed up with Democrats. (St. Louis Post Dispatch) More

Jac Sperling '75, the man picked by the NBA to oversee the Hornets after the league's takeover of the franchise, said his assignment is to make the club more attractive to a buyer who would keep the team in New Orleans. (ESPN) More

Charles M. Oberly III '71 has been confirmed as Delaware’s U.S. attorney. (Delaware Online) More

Justice Cynthia D. Fannon Kinser '77 was elected the next chief justice of the Virginia Supreme Court. She will be the first woman to serve in the position in the court’s history when she assumes office Feb. 1. ( Richmond Times Dispatch) More

Indiana's Lake County Courthouse was renamed in honor of Robert Rucker LL.M. '08, the first African American to serve on the Indiana Supreme Court. (Chicago Tribune) More