W. Neil Eggleston Reflects on Tenure as President Obama’s White House Counsel

August 2, 2017
W. Neil Eggleston Reflects on Tenure as President Obama’s White House Counsel

Obama’s Former White House Counsel Has Lafayette, Indiana Roots

W. Neil Eggleston does not have a moment of regret when he thinks back to his work in Washington. While reflecting on his tenure as former President Barack Obama’s White House counsel, the Lafayette, Indiana native only thought fondly of the White House Bowling Alley, Air Force One, and even the long hours of hard work that he enjoyed.

Eggleston is the son of Warren N. Eggleston, one of the founding partners of Ball Eggleston, a law firm in Lafayette, Indiana. Neil Eggleston clerked for Ball Eggleston’s office and graduated from Northwestern University Law School in 1978.

Eggleston served as an associate White House counsel during the Clinton Administration and even testified before Congress and the Grand Jury during the Lewinsky scandal. The Obama Administration, however, was anything but scandalous, according to Eggleston. He said that Obama set a tone of ethical conduct with which everyone complied.”

Eggleston acted as President Obama’s White House counsel from May 2014 until January 20, 2017, when President Donald Trump was inaugurated. Eggleston jokingly referred to himself as unemployed,” but he is teaching a class on presidential power at Harvard Law School.

While serving as Obama’s White House counsel, Eggleston worked on various issues, such as the Clemency Project 2014. This motion granted 1,700 inmates reduced sentences for complying with certain guidelines; more than 500 received clemency in Obama’s last week as president.

In his interview with The Journal – American College of Trial Lawyers, Eggleston said that it was gratifying to work with the president to halt the criminalization of poverty” and promote fairness with initiatives like the Clemency Project. Eggleston concluded his interview by commending the American College of Trial Lawyers for defending government institutions and upholding the power of law.

Read Eggleston’s interview with The Journal – American College of Trial Lawyers here.


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