Spitzer Announces Additional Senior Staff Appointments

Attorney General-Elect Spitzer today named two former Supreme Court law clerks and an 18-year veteran of the New York State Assembly to senior staff positions in the Department of Law.

The announcement was part of a second round of Executive staff appointments designed to enhance the capabilities and stature of the Attorney General's office.

"We are gaining momentum in our effort to assemble the finest public interest law organization in the nation," Spitzer said. "An extraordinary dynamic is now at work: Each staffing announcement that we make generates new inquires from highly-qualified individuals who want to be part of a dynamic and aggressive organization."

"The beneficiaries of this process are the people of the state, who will see their Department of Law set new standards for public advocacy in the weeks and months ahead," Spitzer said.

Spitzer said that each of appointments announced today were acknowledged leaders in their respective legal fields. The group also includes a top level federal regulator, a chief legal officer for a national health care company and prominent litigators. Two of the appointments have served before in the New York State Department of Law, and one is a current employee of the department.
The appointments were cited by independent observers:

Barbara Bartoletti, Legislative Director of the New York Chapter of the League of Women Voters said: "Making appointments based primarily on political considerations is major problem in government. It would appear that Attorney General-Elect Spitzer is intent on avoiding this pitfall. The selections he has made so far bode well for his administration and the people of the state."
The latest appointments and their recent positions include the following:

Deputy Attorney General for the Criminal Division: Debra Cohn, former Special Counsel to Deputy Attorney General Jamie Gorelick, Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. (Former Law Clerk to Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.)

Bureau Chief for Internet: Caitlin Halligan, Associate, Howard, Smith & Levin in New York. (Former Law Clerk to Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.)

Assistant Deputy Attorney General for Program Development: Daniel L. Feldman, an 18-year veteran of the New York State Assembly, widely regarded as an expert in criminal justice issues.

Bureau Chief for Telecommunications and Energy: Mary Ellen Burns, former Deputy Bureau Chief, Mass Media Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, Washington, D.C.

Bureau Chief for Civil Rights: Andrew G. Celli, Jr. Civil rights attorney, Emery, Celli, Brinckerhoff & Abady in New York.

Deputy Bureau Chief for Civil Rights: Mark Peters, Senior Staff Attorney , Children's Rights Inc.

Special Counsel for Health Care: Jeffrey S. Gold, Health Care Bureau Chief, Office of the New York Attorney General.

Bureau Chief for Health Care: Pamela Jarvis, Vice President and General Counsel, NYLCare Health Plans, Inc.