Wednesday, December 12, 2001
Page 4
San Diego Lawyer Appointed to Be New U.S. Air Force General Counsel
By a MetNews Staff Writer
San Diego lawyer Mary Walker has been appointed the new general counsel of the U.S. Air Force.
Walker, a previous partner with the national law firm Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP, was sworn in yesterday at a Pentagon ceremony.
As the chief legal officer of the Department of the Air Force and its 1300 attorneys, Walker will provide oversight and direction for legal advice provided throughout the department worldwide and provide legal advice as directed by Secretary of the Air Force James P. Roche.
The general counsel is a presidential appointee, requiring Senate confirmation and an order from the secretary of the Air Force.
Legal opinions issued by the Office of the General Counsel are the controlling opinions of the Air Force.
Walker said she had expressed a willingness to serve in the Bush administration and was later asked by the White House to consider an Air Force position.
“It is a privilege to serve the men and women of the Air Force,” said Walker. “The whole idea of insuring that our Air Force is the infrastructure and equipment that we need for the whole country, I see as an important duty. Obviously, after September 11, it all takes on a different significance.”
As a partner with Brobeck Phleger she specialized in environmental and natural resources law and litigation, representing a diverse range of clients including those in oil, shipbuilding, transportation, high technology, biotechnology, and municipal government.
Her previous federal government service included high level positions in the Departments of Justice, Interior and Energy during the Reagan Administration. She also served on the boards of several non-profit organizations and was an instructor of natural resources law at the University of California, San Diego.
Walker received her bachelor’s degree in biological sciences/ecology from the Univ. of California, Berkeley and her law degree from Boston University Law School.
Copyright 2001, Metropolitan News Company