Notice of this incident went around the law firm where I work this morning. I believe that the website Abovethe law.com was one of the first to report. There is more detail and a barrage of comments there, including some who note the Clinton era connection. There have been huge layoffs of attorneys and staff at many of the country’s largest law firms the past few months. On one hand it it hard to undertsand why they would let someone with such a distinguished resume go. On the other hand he probably did not have a large book of business so they might have thought to let him take an “early retirement.” Many of the comments on the ATL blog discuss the how big law can often be very brutal. You have people, many with big egos, who make their career their entire life and identity. It is not difficule to understand that for such people to lose that career after years of distinction can push them over the edge. It is very sad. Certainly there is probably more to the story but there have been a number of lawyer suicides from the past few months’ economic outfall whose stories haven’t made the news.
Levy’s expertise was arguing before the Supreme Court and in that capacity he was one of the most accomplished lawyers in the country regardless of politics. Lawyers like this (especially former deputy attorney generals) do not get fired because their credibility brings in a ton of business and there is ALWAYS a need for lawyers with a lot of SCOTUS experience.
You are absolutely correct about the pressure at big law firms, but I don’t think this had anything to do with layoffs at his firm.