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Government Lawyers: The Federal Legal Bureaucracy and Presidential Politics
For years many citizens have complained that our national government is fettered by legions of inefficient, unaccountable, feather-nesting lawyers. These critics might be right about the numbers—there are nearly 40,000 lawyers employed by the federal government in every branch and at every level. But most of these professionals fulfill functions that are essential to or extremely valuable in running the machinery of government.
In this volume, Cornell Clayton and eight other authorities on public law and legal agencies explore the role that politics play in this federal legal bureaucracy—especially within the executive branch. They provide insights into the historical development, present status, future trends, and interrelations among the offices of the Attorney General, Solicitor General, Special Prosecutor, White House Legal Counsel, Office of Legal Counsel, and counsels in regulatory agencies like the EPA and the EEOC. All the essays highlight a common theme—the perpetual tensions and conflicts between executive-branch politics and the profession's principled independence.
Readable and enlightening, these essays add much to our understanding of—and remove some of the tarnish from—this elite corps of legal experts. They should benefit anyone interested in the legal profession, presidential politics, administrative law, public policy, and bureaucratic politics in our nation's capital.
In this volume, Cornell Clayton and eight other authorities on public law and legal agencies explore the role that politics play in this federal legal bureaucracy—especially within the executive branch. They provide insights into the historical development, present status, future trends, and interrelations among the offices of the Attorney General, Solicitor General, Special Prosecutor, White House Legal Counsel, Office of Legal Counsel, and counsels in regulatory agencies like the EPA and the EEOC. All the essays highlight a common theme—the perpetual tensions and conflicts between executive-branch politics and the profession's principled independence.
Readable and enlightening, these essays add much to our understanding of—and remove some of the tarnish from—this elite corps of legal experts. They should benefit anyone interested in the legal profession, presidential politics, administrative law, public policy, and bureaucratic politics in our nation's capital.
300 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 1995
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January 14, 2014
Only one article is relevant to like 80% of federal government lawyers. However I did find that article very accurate as to working as a lawyer in an executive agency. Like many examinations of this subject, the focus is (rightly or wrongly) mostly on the DOJ, OLC, and solicitor's office. Still, I may photocopy the one chapter on agency lawyers just to explain to students, family, and friends exactly what I do and our relationship to the executive.
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