One of the nation's leading media and entertainment lawyers -- and a court crusader for the recording industry -- is President-elect Barack Obama's choice for associate attorney general. The announcement about the appointment of Tom Perrelli, currently managing partner of Jenner & Block's Washington, D.C. office and co-chair of the firm's entertainment and new media practice, was made Monday along with picks for several other Justice Department posts. If confirmed, Perrelli will not be new to DOJ headquarters. He served for two years in the late 1990s as counsel to Attorney General Janet Reno and subsequently rose to deputy assistant attorney general in the Clinton administration.

In 2005, Perrelli was named one of the nation's 40 most promising lawyers under 40 by The National Law Journal for exhibiting "extraordinary achievements" in his career. At Jenner & Block, he has represented the recording industry in intellectual property, technology, and anti-piracy litigation. Proceedings have included a host of cases arising under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and a series of copyright royalty proceedings before the Copyright Royalty Board. Perrelli has also represented Democratic voters and elected officials in redistricting litigation arising out of the 2000 Census.