With Obama still filling out his cabinet level appointments it will be awhile before the next US Attorney for Western Washington is selected. This, in my opinion, is a crucial appointment - the recent history has given us folks who are more interested in serving the legal community than the citizens of Western Washington.
I'm not current with the legal scene in Seattle these days, but still some speculation on some long standing names:
Jenny Durkan: At first glance Durkan would appear to be the top choice - long standing Democrat, counsel to Gregoire amd just about the right profile. Personally, I hope she doesn't pass the vetting. At some point I should do some work on her involvement in KC Elections, I have commented a bit on her before in the context of other pieces. Durkan, unfortunately, is very much part of the relationship network that has been a problem in this office in the past.
Knoll Lowney: Lowney is perhaps the pre-eminent activist Attorney in the State now, suing recent gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi as well as Tim Eyman, etc. Even more than Durkan he likely not pass a vetting - one thing for sure, he would definitely shake things up around here.John Ladenberg: The recent Democratic candidate for State AG one would assume he is automatically on the list. I'm not enough of a Dem to know if he'd have enthusiasm of the party - my guess is that he's probably older than the typical US Attorney, usually a launching pad to election office, not a retirement from it. Current US Attorney Jeffrey Sullivan, the interim position holder, is an exception to that age practice.
Anne Levinson: She's the former Counsel to Mayor Norm Rice and current Municipal Court Judge/Seattle Storm lead owner. Probably on the list, but FWIW, if she wants a launching pad to elected office she's probably already passed her prime. Most likely also way to close to former US Attorney Kate Pflaumer, who stole the job of the City Attorney (Carolyn Van Noy) who stood up to the financial corruption of the Nordstrom Parking Garage scam.
Bruce Brooks: Brooks, a black Lawyer, is a class act. Unfortunately he is tainted by working with Norm Rice at the Federal Home Loan Bank, in the early days of the sub-prime meltdown.
Ross Baker: Ross Baker is King County Executive Ron Sims counsel. He started off working for the Seattle Council, where I met him and then went on to a high tech career. I don't know him well, nor recently, but intuitively, he strikes me as the best candidate of the likely's I can discern.
Unknown?: Perhaps an effective environmental lawyer with a lower profile?
