Masters of the Game: Inside the World's Most Powerful Law Firm
Since the death in 1988 of Washington lawyer-fixer Edward Bennett Williams (The Man to See, by Evan Thomas, 1991), how has his firm of Williams & Connolly been faring? Very well in terms of billable hours and political sway, according to legal journalist and author Eisler (The Last Liberal: William J. Brennan, 1997). Profiling five partners and their cases since Williams' passing, Eisler casts some light on D.C.'s inner workings, especially during the Clinton presidency when Williams & Connolly attorneys such as David Kendall fended off special prosecutors. Partly helping to defray Bill and Hillary's legal expenses, however, was partner Robert Barnett, whose auctions of their memoirs exemplify how politicians get published. To show the media connection to D.C.'s legal-political nexus, Eisler tosses in stories about Williams & Connolly representing the Washington Post and the National Enquirer. The name-dropping doesn't let up: Brendan Sullivan defends Oliver North, Greg Craig defends Clinton against impeachment, and partner Larry Lucchino trades players from the Boston Red Sox. A diligently informative account of a DC power source. --Gilbert Taylor