Legal News

Obama?s New Man Down Under: Munger Tolles?s Jeff Bleich

By Jess Bravin

The federal government was closed, the Supreme Court in recess, but Chief Justice John Roberts nonetheless braved the snowbound Washington streets Monday, donned his robe and–reading from a script, to avoid any flubs–administered the oath of office to the new U.S. ambassador to Australia, Jeff Bleich.

Was it a love of Vegemite that inspired the chief to swear in Bleich, a longtime friend of President Barack Obama and one of his top fundraisers during the 2008 election? Does Roberts hold a secret affection for the “Mad Max” movies or, even better, “Crocodile Dundee”? Probably not.

But Bleich and Roberts both clerked at the Supreme Court for William Rehnquist and, at a reunion the late chief justice held for ex-clerks, the two superlawyers joined forces to win a croquet match on the Supreme Court lawn. Roberts is a favorite of the conservative Federalist Society and Bleich was a leader in the liberal American Constitution Society, but bonds forged on the croquet lawn apparently transcend any differences in legal philosophy. Bleich says that about 10 days ago, he called the chief from Melbourne to ask if he would do the honors. Roberts quickly agreed.

“He really could not have been more gracious,” Bleich said.

Bleich (Amherst, Berkeley Law) is a partner at Munger Tolles & Olson in San Francisco and a former president of the State Bar of California. Years ago, Bleich was clerking for D.C. Circuit Judge Abner Mikva when they read an article about Obama, who had been elected president of the Harvard Law Review. Bleich says that Mikva told him that Obama looked like clerk material, and asked him to make contact. Obama declined, preferring to work as a community organizer. But Bleich and Obama developed a lasting friendship nonetheless.

Photo: Jess Bravin

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on December 22, 2009 (boomark / email).