Wake Up Call: DOJ Struggled to Lawyer Up for Maurene Comey Suit

Welcome to Bloomberg Law’s Wake Up Call, a daily rundown of the top news for lawyers, law firms, and in-house counsel.

• Two months after former prosecutor Maurene Comey sued the Trump administration for firing her without cause, the Justice Department has yet to assign lawyers to handle the case. Beset by resignations, low morale, and confusion over jurisdiction, multiple offices — including those in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Civil Division’s Federal Programs Branch — have declined involvement, citing conflicts or uncertainty. (The New York Times)
• Brittany Ratelle, founder of Ratelle Law for Creators, has built one of the first law firms dedicated to protecting digital entrepreneurs in the booming creator economy. After starting her career in family law, she recognized that influencers and online creators lacked lawyers who understood the business of social media. Today, her virtual firm serves top creators, offering flat-fee legal services for contracts, trademarks, and brand deals. (Net Influencer)
• Conservative legal group Alliance Defending Freedom played a behind-the-scenes role in launching what’s being called Colorado’s first public Christian school. ADF asked attorney Brad Miller to help create a test case after the Supreme Court deadlocked in May on whether a Catholic charter school could operate in Oklahoma. Miller, who represents Pueblo County School District 70 and a regional education cooperative, proposed opening Riverstone Academy in Pueblo County to “test the legalities” of public schools offering religious instruction. (Chalkbeat)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Amanda Morrison joined Ropes & Gray as a partner and co-leader of its global private capital transactions practice in Boston. She joins from Advent.
• Dan Oates joined Akin as a private equity partner in London. He joins from Ropes & Gray.
• Kari Krusmark joined Morgan Lewis as a partner in its global technology transactions, outsourcing, and commercial contracts team in Los Angeles. She joins from Gibson Dunn.
• Maria Kostytska joined K&L Gates as a partner in its litigation and dispute resolution practice in Paris. She joins from Winston & Strawn.
• Leah Capritta joined Buchalter as a litigation shareholder in Denver. She joins from Holland & Knight.