There will soon be a fresh face in the White House counsel’s office. Bob Bauer, an adviser to President Obama and counsel since November 2009, will return to private practice—including personal representation of the president—and also join Obama’s reelection campaign as general counsel. His top deputy, Kathy Ruemmler, will become the third person to hold the job since Obama took office. She is a former litigator, federal prosecutor, and associate counsel in the Clinton administration. The White House counsel serves as the president’s chief adviser on legal matters but is not the president’s personal attorney.
