White House Express: Nonstop from Chicago to DC
President nominates two Chicago lawyers
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You scratch my back, I'll scratch your itch to work for the Federal government.
President Obama continues to stock his administration with Chicago peeps.
This week the president nominated Martha Minow and John G. Levi to serve as board members on the Legal Services Corporation.
Both Minow and Levi are lawyers with Chicago ties, but, perhaps more importantly, they have personal connections to the Obamas.
Minow is a professor of law and the Dean of Harvard Law School, Obama's alma mater. She is the daughter of former Federal Communications Commission chairman Newton Minow, a major supporter of Obama's presidential candidacy.
Back in 1998, Newton had suggested that Obama work for his law firm Sidley Austin LLP as a summer associate.
John G. Levi, a partner at Sidley's Chicago office, hired Obama to work for his firm. The job would change the future president's life forever, as that is where he met his adviser and future wife, Michelle Robinson.
Levi and Minow join an administration chocked full of Chicago power player: White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, Senior Adviser David Axelrod, Economic Adviser Austin Goolsbee and a plethora of other staffers and aides all hail from Chicago.
Employers might want to think twice about whom they're laying off in this recession. They might just have the next presidenial aide on their payroll.
Matt Bartosik, a "between blogs" blogger, has never been very good at professional networking.
Copyright NBC Owned Television Stations / NBC Chicago
Posted Friday, Aug 7, 2009 - 11:41 AM CST
