DC's Gun Lawyer Fired

I thought this was interesting: Alan Morrison, an expereince Supreme Court advocate was fired by the Acting DC Attorney General just days before the city's brief is due to the Supreme Court.

Morrison had taken an active part, along with a team of lawyers from the city and two private firms, in writing a 15,000-word brief that is scheduled to be filed with the Supreme Court tomorrow. In recent weeks, Morrison led a practice run -- known as a moot court -- through the oral arguments he planned to make in the courtroom. During typical high court hearings, each side has 30 minutes to present its case while being peppered by questions from the justices.

Nickles said yesterday that he will announce a replacement for Morrison in the next 10 days. He said the team of lawyers who had been working with Morrison -- including D.C. Solicitor General Todd Kim, Thomas C. Goldstein of Akin Gump and Walter E. Dellinger of O'Melveny & Myers -- would remain on the case. Goldstein has argued 17 Supreme Court cases, and Dellinger was acting U.S. solicitor general during the high court's 1996-97 term.

Nickles said that Morrison is not indespensible to the team and he may be right, but the timing seems odd.