Legal News

Introducing Arlen Specter, Esq

By Ashby Jones

He’s 81. He’s a household name in American politics. He could spend the rest of his days pursuing any of a number of leisure activities, rather than working.

That is to say: Arlen Specter is not your typical start-up solo-practitioner.

But he’s doing it, and the Legal Intelligencer sat down with the Republican-turned-Democrat who left he U.S. Senate a couple months ago to talk about launching a new career at a time when many others are leaving theirs behind for the golf course.

Writes Gina Passarella on the firm’s genesis:

After talking to some law firms, Specter decided he wanted to maintain his independence and start his own shop. What would be a daunting task for most in this market isn’t so nerve-racking for someone with the name Arlen Specter, not to mention the contacts and background he brings to the table. And he doesn’t seem that concerned with how much business comes in the door.

“I don’t intend to be a rainmaker,” Specter said. “I intend to enjoy the sunshine.”

Fair enough. So what kind of work is Arlen Specter, who served for many years on the Senate Judiciary Committee but is decades away from the courtroom, trying to land? Continues Passarella:

Specter is already representing a biomedical research group and has agreed to help two law firms with their clients in the health care arena. He was in Los Angeles late last month looking into the possibility of handling some large-scale arbitration cases. He wants to focus on appellate matters in state and federal court, as well as advising health care providers and hospitals on the new health care legislation, which he had a hand in drafting.

But being Arlen Specter also means you don’t have to do all legal work all the time. And indeed he’s not. Specter will teach a course at University of Pennsylvania Law School on the U.S. Supreme Court and judicial selection.

He’s also writing a book on how Congress can limit the partisan struggles that have come to define it in recent years.

Specter will also continue pushing on an issue that’s near and dear to our hearts: having Supreme Court arguments televised.

“I think I will get it done in the next 25 years,” he joked.

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on March 09, 2011 (boomark / email).