Updated career timeline of Miers

[Horse with no Name]

1968: Ben Barnes, a prominent Texas Democrat and a former speaker of the House in the state legislature, told friends he used his influence to get George W a guard slot after receiving a request from Houston oilman Sid Adger. Barnes said Adger told him he was calling on behalf of the elder George Bush, then a Texas congressman.

1970—Graduated from Southern Methodist University Law School

1970-1972—Clerked for U.S. District Court Judge Joe Estes

1972-2001—Joined Texas law firm, Locke, Purnell

1985—Elected president of the Dallas Bar Association

1986-1989—Member of the State Bar board of directors

1989-1991—Elected and served one term on the Dallas City Council

1992—Elected president of the Texas State Bar

1993-1994—Worked as counsel for Bush's gubernatorial campaign

1995-2000—Appointed chairwoman of Texas Lottery Commission by Gov. George Bush. The biggest issue before Miers and the commission was whether to retain lottery operator Gtech, which had been implicated in a bribery scandal. Gtech's main lobbyist in Texas in the mid-1990s? None other than that same Ben Barnes who had the goods on how Bush got into the Guard and avoided Vietnam.

1996—Became president of Locke, Purnell, and the first woman to lead a major Texas law firm.

1997: Barnes was abruptly fired by Gtech. Nora Linares was fired by Miers. Coincidentally (?) Linares was represented by Charles Soechting, now head of the Texas Democratic Party. Linares replacement, Littwin was fired. He had ruffled feathers for ordering lottery security officers to research campaign finance records of 30 current and former state officials.Littwin claimed GTECH used its political influence to have him fired. Miers denied the accusation.
Littwin's lawyers suggested that former Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes, who was a lobbyist for GTECH until January 1997, helped the company keep its state contract to run the lottery in exchange for keeping silent about how he had helped Bush get into the National Guard in the late 1960s.
Barnes denied the allegations.

1998—Presided over the merger of Locke, Purnell with another big Texas firm, Liddell, Sapp, Zivley, Hill & LaBoon, and became co-managing partner of the resulting megafirm, Locke Liddell & Sapp. Bush's Texas gubenatorial campaign in 1998 (when he was starting to eye the White House) actually paid Miers $19,000 to run an internal pre-emptive probe of the potential National Guard scandal.

2000—Represented Bush and Cheney in a lawsuit stemming from their dual residency in Texas while running in the Presidential primary

2001—Selected as staff secretary for President Bush

2003—Promoted to Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy

2004—Selected as White House Counsel

new info courtesy of the Coalition for a Fair and Independent Judiciary via MoveOn email.

[BillZBubb]

1. Did she ever join the Federalist Society?

If not, that could explain the right wing consternation at her nomination.

[punpirate]

5. I couldn't find anything in a quick search...

... this morning, but, I heard on the radio (likely NPR) that she was the person who recommended that the White House no longer use the ABA to vet nominees backgrounds. Ipso facto, she favored the Federalist Society in that task.

[RobertSeattle]

2. 2000 - The Law Firm she leads pays 22 Million Fine

Miers Led Law Firm Forced to Pay Major Fines for Defrauding Investors

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sirota/miers-led-law-firm-forced_b_8277.html

[AirAmFan]

3. Nominated! Excellent work -- thank your!

[SpiralHawk]

4. Any data on her birth date, time and place?

That'd be much appreciated.

[mcscajun]

6. Harriet Ellan Miers was born in Dallas on Aug. 10, 1945.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/03/AR2005100300305.html