Former Clinton Counsel Lloyd Cutler Dies at 87

The Washington Post ^ | 5/08/05 | Adam Bernstein

[Borges]

Lloyd Cutler, 87, a Washington legal mandarin for six decades who served as White House counsel under presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, died May 8 at his home in Washington. He had complications from a broken hip.

Mr. Cutler was a commanding presence among the capital's power elite and at home in the highest levels of industry, government and politics. He was a founding partner of Wilmer, Cutler and Pickering, one of the city's leading law firms. Last year, it merged with a Boston firm to become Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, with offices on three continents and more than 1,000 lawyers.

Mr. Cutler was a Democrat who was nonpartisan in his legal work. His clients ranged from liberal advocacy groups to big business, including trade associations for cars, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. His corporate clients included The Washington Post Co., CBS, Bethlehem Steel, Kaiser Steel, IBM, American Express, Pan American World Airways and the Long Island Railroad.

At times, he assisted prominent Republicans such as former Secretaries of State George P. Shultz, Henry Kissinger and James A. Baker III. He once was an arbiter for the Rolling Stones during a disagreement with the band's manager and, in perhaps one of his least heralded success stories, persuaded Mick Jagger to wear a necktie at the Metropolitan Club.

Louis R. Cohen, a partner at the firm and a former deputy solicitor general of the United States, said that for many his late boss "defined political and legal public policy in Washington." He cited Mr. Cutler's active role spanning the major issues of his lifetime, including the law of the sea and public policies affecting housing, railroads and disarmament.

[FormerACLUmember]

One less evil shyster. Hell opens its gates to one more corrupt lawyer.

[Paleo Conservative]

Good riddence!

[Lizavetta]

Any relation to Bruce Cutler, John Gotti's lawyer? Now he was a piece of work.

[Wally_Kalbacken]

I hear you on that. He fits in with Clark Clifford - corrupt as hell and rich enough to buy the reputation he wanted. I love the way that the Washington press admires Cutler as a power broker yet shifts into high dudgeon when dealing with the lobbyist that has some involvement n Tom Delay's questioned travel. There's our influence peddlers and then there's their influence peddlers, I guess.

[FormerACLUmember]

Former Clinton Counsel Lloyd Cutler was a well connected crooked lawyer. No relationship to the thug Bruce Cutler, a bottom of the barrel mob lawyer, always in personal trouble with the law.

[FormerACLUmember]

see post 6

[hinckley buzzard]

One less evil shyster. Hell opens its gates to one more corrupt lawyer.

Sums it up well. The air is slightly less polluted tonight.

[Gay State Conservative]

As far as The Most Ethical Couple In History is concerned, this just means one less insider who can be convinced to give them up to a Federal prosecutor.

Let us never forget how hard those two fought to keep the files of the lawyer that Vince Foster consulted just before his death out of Judge Starr's hands.It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know what those files would have revealed.

[laconic]

He was a skunk.

[Malesherbes]

I usually find it possible to say RIP to people I never liked but whom I respected. In this case I have nothing to say.

[proudofthesouth]

Sure this wasn't Arkancide?

[lilylangtree]

One more crook down the drain.

[aposiopetic]

Long a believer that politicians should not insert their ideological biases when making appointments to the bench, he surprised many Democrats in 1987 by backing the Supreme Court nomination of Robert H. Bork, the conservative legal scholar and federal appeals court judge.

Good for him. He was right on this one.

[GreenHornet]

Sure this wasn't Arkancide?

I haven't ruled that out in the past, but the guy was 87.