Who’s Behind That Senator at the Kagan Hearing?

While watching the live stream of the Elena Kagan confirmation hearings, the Rundown started asking “Who’s sitting behind that Senator?” So we made a few calls to find out.

What is it that they do? What messages are they checking on their PDAs, what notes are they passing to the member as Elena Kagan attempts to answer question after question. Here are a few of our finds that we will try to update throughout today, but if you are in the loop with the scoop- feel free to add information into the comments section of this post.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, (D) Vermont

Chair, Senate Judiciary Committee

No Comment

Sen. Jeff Sessions, (R) Alabama

Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee

Danielle Cutrona, Chief Counsel for Nominations on the Committee’s GOP Staff
She received her law degree from Seton Hall University and is a former president of the Federalist Society’s New Jersey Lawyers Chapter. Prior to assuming the role of Chief Counsel, Cutrona worked as Republican counsel for the committee.

Bill Patton
He is a retired litigation partner with the Ropes & Gray law firm in Boston. Patton received his law degree from Duke University.

Brian Benczkowski, Committee’s Minority Staff Director
(glasses & goatee)

Sen. Herb Kohl, (D) Wisconsin

No Comment

Sen. Orrin Hatch, (R) Utah

No Comment

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, (D) California

No Comment

Sen. Chuck Grassley, (R) Iowa

Rita Lari, Chief Judiciary Counsel

Sen. Russ Feingold, (D) Wisconsin

No Comment

Sen. Jon Kyl, (R) Arizona

Stephen Higgins, Chief Counsel on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security
Higgins has a Law Degree from University of Maine Law School

Ryan Meyers, Counsel on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security
Meyers received his Law Degree from University of Chicago Law School

Sen. Arlen Specter, (D) Pennsylvania

Hannibal Kemerer, Chief Counsel for Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs
He advises the senator on criminal law, nominations, and oversight investigations of the DOJ. In 2007 and 2008, Kemerer was involved in the investigation of the forced resignations of nine U.S. Attorneys. Previously, Kemerer worked with the NAACP and also served as an associate at a Maryland law firm focusing on employment cases. He attended Arizona State University and later the George Washington University Law School.

Matthew Wiener, Subcommittee’s General Counsel
Wiener previously worked in the staff of th U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary. He’s taught as an adjunt professor of law at Rutgers University School of Law. He attended Stanford Law School, where he worked for the Stanford Law Review.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina

No Comment

Sen. Chuck Schumer, (D) New York

No Comment

Sen. John Cornyn, (R) Texas

No Comment

Sen. Dick Durbin, (D) Illinois

No Comment

Sen. Tom Coburn, (R) Oklahoma

No Comment

Sen. Ben Cardin, (D) Maryland

Bill Van Horne, Chief Counsel for Judiciary Committee & Chief Counsel for Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security

Danyelle Solomon, Sen. Cardin’s Counsel for Judiciary Committee
She attended University of Miami and The Dickinson School of Law

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, (D) Rhode Island

No Comment

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, (D) Minnesota

No Comment

Sen. Ted Kaufman, (D) Delaware

Geoff Moulton, Chief Counsel (wearing glases)
He’s on leave as an Associate Professor at Widener University’s Law School.
Moulton worked as first assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in 2001 and clerked for former Chief Justice William Rehnquist from 1985-1986.
Ted Schroeder, Senior Counsel

Sen. Al Franken, (D) Minnesota

Sen. Franken is joined by his Chief Counsel, Alvaro Bedoya (blue tie & glasses) and Counsel, Shayna Strom.
Bedoya attended Yale Law School where he was on the Law Review. Strom also attended Yale Law School and was a Rhodes Scholar.