2008 -- Kamala Harris as California Chair of Barack Obama for America; Jeffrey Bleich ; Jim Brosnahan,

42 FALL 2008 CAMPAIGN LAWYERS— MAY THE BEST CANDIDATE WIN Claire Cooper TONY WEST, Morrison & Foerster, has known of Barack Obama since law school, when Obama was president of the Harvard Law Review and West was incoming president of the Stanford Law... More

42 FALL 2008 CAMPAIGN LAWYERS— MAY THE BEST CANDIDATE WIN Claire Cooper TONY WEST, Morrison & Foerster, has known of Barack Obama since law school, when Obama was president of the Harvard Law Review and West was incoming president of the Stanford Law Review. Early on, West knew, too, that “one day Obama would run for president. ” Today’s the day, and West is a member of the Democratic candidate’s national finance committee as well as a finance cochair for California. He also has worked on criminal justice policy and has done public speaking and media commentary for the Obama campaign. He started helping Obama before he officially began his run for the presidency. Obama’s personal story and his message of hope and reconciliation resonate with West, whose parents grew up in the segregated South. He says Obama is “uniquely” the right choice for president at a time when “the nation is hungry for fundamental change. ” PATRICK RYAN, Winston & Strawn, grew up in Less