We mentioned this story in passing a few times. But we probably should have given it a more prominent place in these pages, since it involves one of our favorite legal celebrities: the high-powered Monica Goodling, who held top positions at the U.S. Department of Justice, and who came to prominence during the U.S. Attorney firing controversy.

Here's an update, from NPR:

The Justice Department's inspector general confirmed Tuesday that he is looking into whether a department lawyer was dismissed over a rumor that she is a lesbian.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie A. Hagen was informed in 2006 that her contract working on Indian affairs in the Justice Department's Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys would not be renewed for a second year — despite receiving the highest possible performance reviews....

Glenn Fine of the Inspector General's Office and H. Marshall Jarrett of the Office of Professional Responsibility said they are looking into whether Hagen was "discriminated against in employment decisions on the basis of alleged sexual orientation or other improper factors."

Some claim that Hagen had "a Monica problem" -- i.e., that she was not in favor with the powerful Goodling, due to these sapphic whisperings.

Now, if the allegation were that Monica Goodling fired a DOJ lawyer because of a rumor that he might be gay, we'd dismiss it out of hand. In light of her overall fabulosity, as well as her status as "a survivor" -- someone who has successfully weathered serious political storms, while still looking poised, polished, and perfect -- Goodling will be hailed as an icon by future generations of gay male lawyers.

But this allegation involves a rumor that a lawyer was a lesbian. That's a whole different kettle of fish. So we'll wait and see what the DOJ probe reveals.

Justice Inquiry Centers on Dismissal, Gay Rumors [NPR]
Confirmed: DoJ Investigators Probing Whether Goodling Fired Lawyer Due to Gay Rumors [TPM Muckraker]

Make that a Post-script -- a shout-out in the Washington Post, for both the happy couple and ATL. From the WaPo's delicious Reliable Source column (which has new details about the Goodling/Krempasky engagement, including their ages and the story of their courtship):

Engaged: Monica Goodling, 34, the former Alberto Gonzales adviser, to Michael Krempasky, 33, a top PR guy at Edelman and founding blogger with RedState.com.

The betrothal of the Pennsylvania natives (first reported by the legal blog AboveTheLaw.com) proves that even a congressional subpoena can have a happy ending: The two dated just after college, then lost touch for a decade -- until he saw her name last spring in the front-page stories about the controversial firings of several U.S. attorneys, and called to wish her well. He surprised her with a Valentine's Day proposal at the same restaurant where they spent V-Day 12 years ago; no date set.

It's a quintessential D.C. romance: congressional testimony leading to a love connection!

Additional commentary appears at Wonkette, TPM Muckraker, and Jezebel (among others).

Love, Etc. [The Reliable Source / Washington Post]

Earlier: Breaking: Monica Goodling Is Engaged!

This just in: the super-fabulous Monica Goodling, one of ATL's all-time favorite people, is engaged!

Monica Marie Goodling, of Alexandria, is engaged to be married to Michael Krempasky, of Falls Church. The wedding is planned for later this year.

The future bride, a consultant, previously served as senior counsel to Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and White House liaison at the U.S. Department of Justice. She graduated cum laude from Messiah College and received J.D. and M.A. degrees from Regent University.

Mr. Krempasky is a senior vice president at Edelman, a full-service, global public relations firm. He is also a founder of RedState, a leading conservative blog.

Although Monica Goodling and Mike Krempasky are a "power couple" here in Washington, their story goes back more than a decade and originates outside the Beltway. Look for more details later, either in these pages or elsewhere (e.g., their official engagement or wedding announcement).

Congratulations and best wishes to the happy couple! Full-size engagement photographs, exclusive to ATL, appear after the jump.

Part of a blogger’s job description is to shamelessly rip off stuff from the mainstream media. So we’re going to follow in the footsteps of the ABA Journal and the WSJ Law Blog, and name ATL’s first annual Lawyer of the Year. (Of course, it's not that original an idea to begin with, insofar as it's inspired by Time magazine's Person of the Year.)

The WSJ crew is still accepting nominations, so we don’t know the identity of their pick. But the ABA Journal’s honoree for 2007, Alberto Gonzales, has generated some controversy. The Journal's editor and publisher, Edward A. Adams, explained the pick to the Washington Post: "It's about who has had the most effect in the world of lawyers this year. We're not saying Gonzales is good or bad. We're just saying this is the leading newsmaker in our part of the world."

Additional discussion, plus how to submit your nomination for ATL's Lawyer of the Year, after the jump.

Of all the characters in the U.S. Attorney firings drama, Kyle Sampson, former chief of staff to former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, was not our favorite. When he testified on Capitol Hill, he was earnest, sweaty, and decidedly non-fabulous -- unlike Monica Goodling, who took the Senate Judiciary Committee by storm with a dazzling performance.

But even though his government service ended inauspiciously, Sampson has done just fine for himself. From the Salt Lake Tribune:

Three Washington lawyers with Utah ties - including the chief of staff to former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales - are joining the food and drug practice at the firm Hunton & Williams.

D. Kyle Sampson, a Cedar City native, was Gonzales' chief of staff at the Justice Department until he resigned amid a controversy over the firing of eight U.S. Attorneys, a move that spawned congressional investigations. Sampson, who compiled the list of attorneys who were fired, testified for hours before House and Senate committees in public hearings and private interviews.

Before joining the Justice Department he was an Associate Counsel to the President at the White House, was director of personnel for the Bush administration, and was an aide to Sen. Orrin Hatch on the Judiciary Committee. He is a graduate of Brigham Young University and Chicago University law school.

We wonder if the Mormon Mafia had a hand in his hiring. They are to the legal world what the Gay Mafia is to fashion!

Sampson, ex-aide to Gonzales, joins law firm [Salt Lake Tribune]

In case you haven't noticed, we've been experiencing technical difficulties around here (due to unusually high site traffic today). We've actually been trying to post new material for a while, but without success until now. Tech folks are investigating the problems, and hopefully things will return to normal shortly.

We're now pleased to bring the second half of our interview with Adam Key, the Regent Law School second-year student who has found himself in a bit of hot water. Background on the controversy, a free-speech dispute between Key and the Regent administration, is available here and here.

The first part of our interview with Adam Key is accessible here. The balance of the interview -- in which Adam Key reveals his professional wrestling nickname, talks about his new book, and discusses his Regent sister, Monica Goodling -- appears after the jump.

The most famous student or graduate of Regent University School of Law, the conservative law school founded by the American televangelist Pat Robertson, is probably the fabulous Monica Goodling. If you're on Facebook, you can join her fan club here.

But a husky, heavily tattooed freak-show 2L is giving La Goodling a run for her money. From the Virginian-Pilot:

Regent University officials have threatened to discipline a law student for posting on his Facebook page an unflattering photo of Regent President Pat Robertson.

The student, Adam M. Key, defended his action as constitutionally protected free speech in a 14-page legal brief he presented to the dean of the law school.

Regent officials gave Key two choices: publicly apologize for posting the picture and refrain from commenting about the matter in a “public medium,” or write a brief defending the posting. He faces punishment that could include expulsion.

Key, a second-year law student, said he refused to apologize and “be muzzled” by the university, so he composed the document, which includes citations from noted First Amendment cases.

More after the jump.

It's a Friday afternoon in June. Of course it couldn't pass without a high-profile resignation. From WRAL:

Mike Nifong made the announcement at the end of his testimony Friday at his State Bar ethics trial to the surprise of the families and defense attorneys of the cleared lacrosse players.

"Throughout the years I have served as a prosecutor I have always tried to do the right thing," a tearful Nifong said. "In this case, I was trying to todo the right thing. Much of the criticism directed to me in the is case is justified. The allegations that I'm a liar, however, are not justified."

But is Michael Nifong... a plagiarist?

(No, of course we're not serious. We just like to connect every story to Monica Goodling.)

Embattled DA Mike Nifong Resigns [WRAL.com via Drudge Report]

Department of Justice official Brad Schlozman -- who currently serves as Associate Counsel to the Director, in the Executive Office for United States Attorneys -- is about to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee. His testimony is part of a panel entitled "Preserving Prosecutorial Independence: Is the Department of Justice Politicizing the Hiring and Firing of U.S. Attorneys?"

Maybe we'll tune in, at least for a few minutes; but we don't expect to watch the entire proceedings. Brad Schlozman is no Monica Goodling. And we can barely pronounce his last name.

On Friday night, in preparation for today's session, the DOJ's Office of Legislative Affairs (OLA) sent the Republican members of the committee a list of proposed "softball" or friendly questions for Schlozman. This question caught our eye:

Clevenger, you may recall, has raised allegations about the politicization of hiring at Main Justice. But he may be best known to ATL readers as a source for stories about that delicious DOJ diva, Shanetta Cutlar (about whom we've heard nothing new, sadly).

By the way, in case you're wondering, question #5 wasn't well-received by GOP staffers on Capitol Hill. We hear that the Republican staffers "are offended that DOJ expects them to do its political dirty work."

As you could probably tell from the results thus far in our reader polls, Georgia lawyer Andrew Speaker -- the patient with drug-resistant tuberculosis, who engaged in extensive air travel despite knowing of his condition -- hasn't exactly endeared himself to the world.

If you run a search for "Andrew Speaker" on Facebook, here's what you get:

We don't endorse what Andy Speaker did; but we find these anti-Andy clubs a bit over-the-top. If you're going to join a Facebook group centered on a specific individual, why not join one that's about celebration rather than condemnation?

Search: Andrew Speaker [Facebook]
Monica Goodling Fan Club [Facebook]

Those of you who read our extensive liveblogging of Monica Goodling's testimony on Wednesday before the House Judiciary Committee know how deeply impressed we were.

Goodling was poised, intelligent, and articulate. She showed flashes of wit, as well as consistent honesty and forthrightness. She looked like a million bucks.

On a scale of 0 to 10, we'd score Monica Goodling's performance on Capitol Hill as a 9.3. It wasn't a perfect 10; Rep. Artur Davis landed a few punches in the eleventh round. But Monica "Hurts So" Goodling ultimately emerged victorious from the boxing ring of the Rayburn House Office Building, with barely a glove laid on her.

We weren't alone in our assessment. Distinguished legal commentators, including law professors like Orin Kerr and Adam Gershowitz, also raved over La Goodling's star turn.

And this morning, via Howard Bashman, we come across more praise of Goodling, from an unlikely source. Check out this great online essay (registration required), by Eve Fairbanks of The New Republic -- no bastion of conservatism.

Discussion continues after the jump.

We have to step away from our computer now, to go meet our running group. We are training for the New York City marathon. If you'd like to support our efforts with a tax-deductible donation to fund cancer research, which is almost as worthy a cause as the Monica Goodling Legal Defense Fund, please click here.

This means we're going to miss the last ten minutes or so of Monica Goodling's testimony. If anything insane happens, please note it in the comments, or email us.

Also, we're not the only ones who were impressed by Goodling's performance today. Distinguished legal analysts concur in our assessment that La Monica acquitted herself very well before the House Judiciary Committee.

By way of example, check out these posts at two leading law blogs:

1. Monica Goodling's Testimony [Volokh Conspiracy (Prof. Orin Kerr)]

2. Rounding Out My Monica Goodling Obsession [PrawfsBlawg (Prof. Adam Gershowitz)]

Sorry, Monica haters. The experts have weighed in. You lose.

Have a nice day!

BREAKING: Is the cool and collected Monica Goodling starting to crack, under the persistent and probing questioning of Rep. Artur Davis (D-AL)? Details after the jump (around the 3:25 mark).

3:08: Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) employs a too-clever-by-half strategy to try and get Monica Goodling to say that Alberto Gonzales should be fired. It falls flat.

3:12: Rep. Artur Davis asks Goodling specific questions about whether she believes various statements by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales about the firings were incorrect. He gets her to admit, multiple times, that the Attorney General's statements were inaccurate. Sometimes the simplest questions are best.

3:14: Oooh, Rep. Davis is definitely making inroads. John Dowd objects and asks to see the AG testimony being referenced. Rep. Davis slaps Dowd: "As I recall, you are not a participant in these proceedings."

Rep. Lungren (R-CA), clearly disturbed by the points that Davis is scoring, protests through a point of order. The Chair -- Sheila Jackson Lee, filling in for John Conyers -- overrules the point of order.

3:15: Rep. Lungren appeals the ruling of the chair. He is smacked down.

WOW, this is DEFINITELY heating up. More after the jump.

If congressional testimony over the U.S. Attorney firings were American Idol:

Alberto Gonzales = Sanjaya Malakar

D. Kyle Sampson = Blake Lewis

Monica Goodling = Jordin Sparks

Goodling is, far and away, the best Department of Justice witness to appear before Congress on the U.S. Attorney firings thus far. If one were to compare her performance to that of Kyle Sampson or Alberto Gonzales, we'd paraphrase what Simon Cowell said last night to Jordin Sparks: "You wiped the floor with him."

BREAKING: Monica Goodling is paying her own legal bills -- and will be establishing a legal defense fund. YAY!!!

More discussion -- including a blow-by-blow account of the hearing, which is back underway -- after the jump.

12:25: We're back from that "five minute" recess. (They run a tighter ship over on the Senate side of the Hill.)

12:27: Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee is up. This is gonna be GOOD.

SJL is one of our favorite Capitol Hill divas -- and she qualifies as a diva under even the most stringent definition of the term. From our days of blogging at Wonkette, we have enough stories about her to fill volumes.

Jackson Lee to Goodling: "We have limited time, so I ask that you keep your answers as cryptic as possible...."

Cryptic? JEEZ....

Of course she starts off interrogating Goodling about the Howard grad whose hiring Goodling delayed. So predictable.

She also asks Goodling to state the name of the Deputy Attorney General (Paul McNulty). Was that a question? WTF???

More after the jump.

This is a continuation of our earlier post, in which we kicked off our liveblogging of the Monica Goodling testimony before the House Judiciary Committee.

11:00: Some friendly questioning from Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), Ranking Republican Member of the Judiciary Committee. We once sat next to him at a dinner party; he's a very nice man.

11:05: Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) is a style nightmare. White blazer, red tank-toppy-looking blouse. Congresswoman Sanchez: this is the United States Congress, not a July 4th booze cruise.

11:07: In terms of her demeanor, Goodling is not going down the diva route. She's very polite and helpful, interspersing her remarks with self-effacing or nervous smiles. It seems that she's trying to be as forthcoming as possible as a witness.

Discussion resumes after the jump.

The Democrats have gotten a lot of political mileage out of the U.S. Attorneys firing "scandal." But their luck is about to run out. They never should have messed with the Magnificent Monica Goodling.

We're liveblogging the Monica Goodling's appearance before the House Judiciary Committee, which is just getting underway. Our commentary will be added continuously to this post (until we eventually migrate to a new post). So just refresh your browser for the latest.

10:19: WOW. Girlfriend looks FANTASTIC. A bona fide hottie. She has definitely shed a few pounds since the red Solo cup photo -- which needs to be tossed in the dustbin of history, stat.

10:22: Monica Goodling is wearing a sober black suit, which strikes just the right note for congressional proceedings. Her dark blonde hair is immaculate: lustrous, straight but not flat, with the perfect amount of volume. The look is finished off with demurely curling tendrils -- elegant and feminine, but still businesslike enough for Congress..

Goodling is in her early 30s; but today she looks like she's in her 20s. For those of you who aren't watching this on television, who wait for the photographs in tomorrow's newspaper, take our word for it: you will be struck by the totality of her "makeover."

Discussion continues after the jump.

We have a new favorite catchphrase: "You have a Monica problem." We've added it to our favorite quotations, and we may put it in our email signature file, too.

As explained here, the words "You have a Monica problem" were typically uttered to Justice Department job applicants whose credentials might be deemed insufficiently conservative by Monica Goodling -- the uber-powerful ex-DOJ official who played a key role in hiring.

But these days, "You have a Monica problem" might also apply to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. From Jason McClure of the Legal Times:

Now it’s all about Monica.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales emerged mostly unscathed from last week’s face-off with Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee over his role in the U.S. attorney firings....

But there’s one big wild card that’s yet to be thrown into play, and that’s Monica Goodling, Gonzales’ former White House liaison.

If you don't share our Monica obsession, you can stop reading here. But if you find her as fascinating as we do, there's more after the jump.

No, this has nothing to do with Bill Clinton. We're talking about the other Monica -- former Justice Department lawyer Monica Goodling, one of our favorite personalities here at ATL.

Over the weekend, the New York Times published the best article we've read in a long, long time. Check it out (annotations ours):

Now this is the point in the post where we should start highlighting the best parts of Eric Lipton's article, followed by mildly snarky quips. But the entire piece is so delicious that it would be wrong to pick out excerpts. Please read the whole thing for yourself, by clicking here.

Okay, are you done? Great. Discussion continues after the jump.

Even those of you who are sick and tired of our Monica Goodling coverage will enjoy this little tidbit. It has been mentioned by a few commenters, and we've also received a bunch of emails about it.

From the National Journal (via TPMmuckraker):

Psst! Sources tell us that none other than Monica Goodling, former aide to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, was responsible for draping over the ample bosoms of the Art Deco statues in the Justice Department's Great Hall during the reign of the prim John Ashcroft.

The coverings were removed, accompanied by a sigh from an appreciative public, in 2005...

Goodling and Lady Justice: The Original Cover-Up [TPMmuckraker]