Another Former Connecticut AG Lands Law Firm Job

For the second time in less than two weeks, a former Connecticut attorney general is joining a major, New York-based law firm.

Clarine Nardi Riddle served as state AG from 1989 to 1991 and is the only woman to have held the job. She's now joining Kasowitz Benson Torres & Friedman, which ranks in the top 125 on the AmLaw 200 list, just a week after former U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman, who was Connecticut's attorney general from 1983 to 1989, started at the same firm.

The dual hirings are hardly coincidental. Riddle is a former chief of staff for Lieberman's Senate office.

In her new job, Riddle will will launch Kasowitz's Washington, D.C. office and its Government Affairs practice. According to her new bosses, she will attempt to expand the firm's presence on Capitol Hill and advise clients on a range of regulatory and public policy issues.

"Clarine's extensive political and legal experience will be an invaluable asset to our clients who seek counsel in navigating a range of matters involving the intersection of business and government," Marc Kasowitz, the firm's founding and managing partner, said in a prepared statement. "We look forward to developing our government affairs practice under her guidance, and also underscoring the importance of strong women leaders at the firm."

Riddle, a native of Indiana and a graduate of Indiana University Law School, joins the firm as counsel. Her résumé includes service as deputy corporation counsel for New Haven, a Connecticut Superior Court judge and deputy attorney general under Lieberman. Then-Governor William O'Neill appointed her to the attorney general's post after Lieberman was elected to the U.S. Senate. She was also the first female state attorney general to appear before the U.S. Supreme Court, successfully arguing Martin W. Hoffman v. Connecticut Department of Income Maintenance, et.al., a complicated case that centered on whether a bankrupt convalescent home had the right to sue the state in a dispute over Medicaid payments.

Riddle's position as chief of staff to Lieberman involved participating in and leading congressional staff delegations to countries such as Switzerland, China, Thailand, Jordan, Israel, Saudi Arabia and China. She was perhaps most visible when Lieberman was chosen in 2000 to run for vice president by Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore. In one CNN interview, Riddle attempted to refute suggestions that Lieberman might not be able to carry out the duties of the vice presidency because of his Orthodox Jewish faith and his observance of religious holidays and the sabbath.

In that same interview, she spoke about working with Lieberman in the Connecticut Attorney General's Office. "When he was attorney general, he was inclusive," Riddle said. "He was very fair. He was very balanced and judicious in his demeanor. He listened to people. He was tough when he needed to be tough. But first and foremost, he always cared fundamentally about the individuals who were a part of the lawsuits or legal cases he was working on. In other words, he was very concerned about the impact, of any of his activities, on the people of the State of Connecticut."

In Washington, Riddle is also known for her bipartisan efforts. She is the founder of No Labels, an organization of Republicans, Democrats and Independents attempting to find better approaches to dedicated to a new politics of problem-solving on Capitol Hill. She also organized a bipartisan group of chiefs of staff for U.S. senators.

"It is very exciting for me to join the excellent attorneys at Kasowitz Benson Torres & Friedman, a firm with such an extremely strong reputation for fighting for their clients in many of the most complex litigation matters," Riddle said in a prepared statement. "I am eager to apply my knowledge and experience to help companies and individuals advocate for legislative and policy changes that protect and expand their businesses."

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