President Obama announced his intention to nominate Dawn Johnsen to be the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel on January 5, 2009. A hearing to consider her nomination was held on February 25, 2009. An archived webcast is available. 
On March 19, 2009, the Judiciary Committee ordered the nomination reported to the Senate for consideration. On December 24, 2009, the nomination was returned to the President under the provisions of Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate. On January 20, 2010, President Obama again nominated Dawn Johnsen to be the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel. On March 4, 2010, the Judiciary Committee ordered the nomination reported to the Senate for consideration. On April 12, 2010, President Obama withdrew the nomination.
A transcript of the hearing, including the Committee Questionnaire, responses to questions submitted for the record, and letters received in connection with the nomination, is available through the Government Printing Office. Attachments to the Committee Questionnaire are available upon request.
Letters Received in Connection with the Nomination
- February 16, 2010 - Victor Williams, Assistant Professor of Law, The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law
- February 1, 2010 - Joint Letter [Law School Professors]
- October 29, 2009 - Joint Letter [People for the American Way, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, Alliance for Justice, Asian American Justice Center, American Association of People with Disabilities, American Federation of Teachers, Americans for Democratic Action, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Central Conference of American Rabbis, Change to Win, Citizens Commission on Civil Rights, Constitutional Accountability Center, CWA-UAW Legislative Alliance, Equal Justice Society, Feminist Majority, Human Rights Campaign, Japanese American Citizens League, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Legal Momentum, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, NARAL Pro-Choice America, National Council of Jewish Women, National Council of La Raza, National Council of Negro Women, National Education Association, National Employment Lawyers Association, National Fair Housing Alliance, National Legal Aide & Defender Association, National Partnership for Women and Families, National Senior Citizens Law Center, National Urban League, National Women's Law Center, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Public Advocates, Inc., Service Employees International Union, Union for Reform Judaism, Women Employed]
- October 8, 2009 - Anti-Defamation League
- May 5, 2009 - Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
- April 21, 2009 - Lawrence B. Wilkerson
- April 21, 2009 - Joint Letter - American Association of University Women (AAUW), Center for Reproductive Rights, Chicago Abortion Fund, Coalition of Labor Union Women, Commission on the Status of Women-Sarasota County, ERA Campaign Network, Feminist Majority, Frontera Women's Organization, Gender Perspectives, Greater New Haven Chapter of NOW, Idaho Women's Lawyers, Inc., Iowa Commission on the Status of Women, Law Students for Reproductive Justice, Legal Momentum, Middlesex County NOW-NJ, Myra Sadker Foundation, NARAL Pro-Choice America, National Abortion Federation, National Congress of Black Women, Inc., National Council of Jewish Women-Connecticut, National Hook Up of Black Women, Inc., National Organization for Women (NOW), NOW-Mid-Suffolk Chapter (NY), NOW-Sarasota Chapter (FL), National Council for Research on Women, National Partnership for Women and Families, National Women's Law Center, Planned Parenthood Federation of American, Turning Anger Into Change, YWCA of Binghamton and Broome County, YWCA Central Alabama, YWCA of Cortland (NY), YWCA of Schenectady (NY), YWCA of Titusville (PA), Wider Opportunities for Women, West Virginia NOW, Women's Law Project, WOmen's Research & Education Institute (WREI), Women Work/Southeast Technical Institute Gloria Feldt
- April 1, 2009 - Michigan Peaceworks Tuesday Working Group
- March 31, 2009 - National Council of Jewish Women
- March 18, 2009 - Walter Dellinger, former Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel
- February 24, 2009 - Beth Nolan, former Deputy Assistant Attorney General
- February 24, 2009 - Leadership Conference on Civil Rights [Alliance for Justice, Asian American Justice Center, Campaign for America's Future, Citizens' Commission on Civil Rights, Human Rights Campaign, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, NARAL Pro-Choice America, National Abortion Federation, National Council of Jewish Women, National Council of La Raza, National Health Law Program, National Organization for Women (NOW), National Partnership for Women & Families, National Senior Citizens Law Center, National Women's Law Center, People for the American Way]
- February 23, 2009 - Randolph D. Moss, WilmerHale; former Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel
- February 17, 2009 - Sanford Levinson, W. St. John Garwood and W. St. John Garwood Jr. Centennial Chair in Law, University of Texas Law School
- February 13, 2009 - Lewis Merletti, former Director of the United States Secret Service
- February 13, 2009 - Alliance Defense Fund
- February 11, 2009 - James K. Robinson, Cadwalader, former Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division
- February 9, 2009 - Drew S. Days, III, Alfred M. Ranking Professor of Law, Yale Law School; former Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division; former U.S. Solicitor General
- February 3, 2009 - Frank W. Hunger, Walker, Tipps & Malone PLC, former Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division
- February 3, 2009 - Representative Baron P. Hill (Indiana)
- February 3, 2009 - Howard M. Shapiro, WilmerHale, former General Counsel, Federal Bureau of Investigation
- February 2, 2009 - Joint Letter [Janet Reno, former Attorney General; Jamie S. Gorelick, former Deputy Attorney General; Patricia Wald, former Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs; Eleanor D. Acheson, former Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Policy Development; Loretta C. Argrett, former Assistant Attorney General for the Tax Division; Jo Ann Harris, former Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division; Lois Schiffer, former Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division
- February 2009 - Michael Vatis, former Associate Deputy Attorney General for national security
- February 2009 - Joint Letter [Signatories from: Students for Life of America, Family Research Council, National Right to Life Committee, Americans United for Life, Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute, Susan B. Anthony List, Massachusetts Family Institute, Life Issues Institute, Eagle Forum, International Right to Life Federation, Thomas More Society, Sanctity of Life Foundation, Women Influencing the Nation, Law of Life Project, American Values, CatholicVote.org, 40 Days for Life, Citizens for Community Values, Heartbeat International, Pennsylvania Family Institute, Stand True-Christ Centered Pro-Life, Divide Mercy Care, Crossroads Pro-Life, Presbyterians Pro-Life, Culture of Life Foundation, Human Life Alliance, Network of Politically Active Christians, Expectant Mother Care-EMC FrontLine Pregnancy Centers, Traditional Values Coalition]
- January 30, 2009 - Bill Lann Lee, Lewis, Feinberg, Lee, Renaker & Jackson, P.C., former Assistant Attorney General
- January 30, 2009 - Brad Berenson, Sidley Austin LLP
- January 29, 2009 - Lauren Robel, Dean and Val Nolan Professor of Law, Indiana University
- January 28, 2009 - Stephen Preston, former Deputy General Counsel of the Department of Defense; Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division; former General Counsel of the Navy
- January 28, 2009 - Robert S. Litt, former Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division; former Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General
- January 27, 2009 - Judith A. Winston, former Undersecretary and General Counsel, U.S. Department of Education
- January 27, 2009 - William Michael Treanor, Dean, Fordham University, The School of Law
- January 27, 2009 - Evan H. Caminker, Dean and Branch Rickey Collegiate Professor, University of Michigan Law School; former Deputy Assistant Attorney General
- January 26, 2009 - Neal Wolin, former Special Assistant to three Directors of Central Intelligence, former Deputy Legal Adviser to the National Security Council, former Executive Assistant to the National Security Advisor, former General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel for the Department of the Treasury
- January 26, 2009 - Deval Patrick, Governor, State of Massachusetts
- January 26, 2009 - Harold Hongju Koh, Dean and Gerard C. and Bernice Latrobe Smith Professor of International Law, Yale Law School
- January 23, 2009 - Janet Reno, former Attorney General
- January 23, 2009 - Alan J. Kreczko
- January 23, 2009 - Jamie S. Gorelick, WilmerHale, former Deputy Attorney General
- January 22, 2009 - Seth Waxman, WilmerHale; former Solicitor General
- January 22, 2009 - Harriet S. Rabb, Vice President & General Counsel, The Rockefeller University
- January 22, 2009 - Lee H. Hamilton, President and Director, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
- January 20, 2009 - Richard L. Shiffrin, former Deputy Assistant Attorney General
