NEW YORK (December 22, 2008) – LawFuel – Legal Announcements Daily – The National Law Journal, an Incisive Media publication, today announced the selection of U.S. Department of Justice Inspector General Glenn A. Fine as its 2008 “Lawyer of the Year.” Fine was selected by the editors of the publication for his work in ensuring the department’s fulfillment of its motto: “who prosecutes on behalf of justice.” Profiles of Fine and this year’s runner-up, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) chairwoman Sheila C. Bair, headline the year-end December 22 issue of The National Law Journal, and are also online at www.nlj.com and www.law.com.
“Over the course of a year during which the Justice Department’s reputation suffered one black eye after another, Fine led a team that emerged as beacons of nonpartisanship and independence,” said Steve Fromm, editor in chief of The National Law Journal. “His work has been central to a thorough investigation of problem after problem, and has revealed where and how politicization led the department astray.”
Fine and the team he has assembled during the past eight years have also recommended steps to department leaders and Congress for restoring the department’s position as the nation’s pre-eminent law enforcement agency.
In addition to the regular work of his office, Fine’s unit also issued special reports in 2008 that included:
• An investigation into the removal of nine U.S. attorneys in 2006.
• An investigation into allegations of the mishandling of classified documents by former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
• An investigation of allegations of politicized hiring by Monica Goodling and other staff in the Office of the Attorney General.
• A review of the FBI’s involvement in, and observations of, detainee interrogations in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba; Afghanistan; and Iraq.
Bair was cited for her bold policy efforts to aid both consumers and banks during the economic crisis. She has won recognition for decisive actions to save floundering banks and her aggressive promotion of loan modifications to prevent foreclosures. Her proactive measures to stave off bank failures include seizing IndyMac Bank FSB’s assets and creating IndyMac Federal Bank; the takeover and sale of Washington Mutual Inc.; and the facilitation of the sale of Wachovia Corp.
Founded in 1978, The National Law Journal has the largest paid circulation of any weekly publication serving the legal community. The NLJ is published by Incisive Media.
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