(Washington, DC) Acting Attorney General Linda Singer announced today that she has appointed Alan Morrison as Special Counsel to the Attorney General.  Mr. Morrison is currently completing a three year term as senior lecturer at Stanford Law school and will join the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) on August 1, 2007.  Mr. Morrison will work closely with General Singer advising her on key matters handled by OAG.

Mr. Morrison brings to OAG a depth of legal expertise.  He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard Law School in 1966 and from Yale College in 1959.  Mr. Morrison has devoted his entire career to reforming the legal profession, ensuring openness of government, and promoting fair access to the legal system.  He has argued 20 times before the US Supreme Court and has been co-counsel in hundreds of other cases.  Among his most notable Supreme Court victories include INS v. Chadha (declaring the legislative veto found in over 200 federal statues to violate separation of powers); and Virginia Bd of Pharmacy v. Virginia Citizens Consumer Council (holding that commercial speech is entitled to First Amendment protection).

In addition to his involvement in some of the most pivotal cases to the US judicial system, Mr. Morrison co-founded the Public Citizen Group with Ralph Nader in 1972.  He served as director of the group for most of his 30 year tenure at Public Citizen overseeing cases in every federal circuit including the District of Columbia.

Attorney General Singer says Mr. Morrison’s appointment is a huge plus for OAG.  “I am so very pleased that Alan has agreed to serve as Special Counsel.  His experience is unparalleled, and he will be an invaluable asset to the Office.”

Mr. Morrison says he is looking forward to doing his part in making OAG a nationally recognized law office.  “I am very excited about the job and working directly with Linda, whom I have known and respected for more than a dozen years,” said Mr. Morrison.  “It will present some real challenges, and it gives me an opportunity to serve the District by doings what I like best: being a lawyer.”