"He was not a fighter," the lawyer said of Mr. Rasanen, whom he had represented on traffic cases.
He pointedly told Mr. Vallone: "There are a lot of used car salesmen in Queens," which the speaker has represented on the Council since 1973.
He was put up for the civil rights post last year, only to be rejected by the Senate in March after powerful police unions objected on grounds that he had represented on appeal the former Black Panther member Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was convicted in 1982 of murdering a police officer.
She has three siblings, one of whom, Mercedes Ralph, has represented Australia on an international tour.
That union, known as Aftra, shares about 40,000 members with the Screen Actors Guild and typically has represented performers on situation comedies and other programs shot on videotape, while the Guild has represented actors in works shot on film for broadcast networks.
Mr. Fleming has a close relationship with Mr. Thompson, and has represented him on many merger deals.
One was Samuel Minzberg, who had represented Charles Bronfman on the Vivendi board.
Mr. Daschle, who has represented South Dakota on Capitol Hill since 1978, was elected party leader in 1994.
He has represented clients on matters as varied as attempted murder and estate law.
Mr. Thornton, who knew Mr. Graham and had represented him on some juvenile offenses, was appointed his co-counsel.
