Allen & Overy has brought on a lawyer who advised U.S. Senate Democrats on campaign finance regulation, lobbying rules and government ethics.
Jason Abel joins the firm today after serving as chief counsel for Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), in Schumer’s role as chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. Abel is working in the firm’s new Washington office as an associate, a firm spokesman said.
The Senate’s rules committee works on a variety of issues, including the task of responding to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. FEC allowing unlimited campaign spending by corporations and unions. Last July, Schumer and House Democrats released legislation nicknamed the DISCLOSE Act that would have overhauled spending and disclosure rules. The bill didn’t become law.
Before joining the rules committee staff, Abel served as counsel to Schumer in the senator’s personal office. He’s a former O’Melveny & Myers associate.
Counsel in Schumer's office, and then chief counsel to his most powerful committee - and now he gets to be a law firm associate?
If such positions go to people with such high-level experience, it's no wonder mere mortals can't get hired as Big Law associates!
Posted by: Avon | July 27, 2011 at 08:34 PM