Robert F. Bauer (born February 22, 1952) is an American attorney who served as

White House counsel The White House Counsel is a senior staff appointee of the president of the United States whose role is to advise the president on all legal issues concerning the president and their administration. The White House counsel also oversees the Off ...

under

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

Early life and education

Born in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

into a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

family, Bauer graduated from

Phillips Exeter Academy Phillips Exeter Academy (often called Exeter or PEA) is an Independent school, independent, co-educational, college-preparatory school in Exeter, New Hampshire. Established in 1781, it is America's sixth-oldest boarding school and educates an es ...

in 1970. He earned a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

degree from

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...

in 1973, and his

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

from the

University of Virginia School of Law The University of Virginia School of Law (Virginia Law) is the law school of the University of Virginia, a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 as part of his "academical village", and now ...

in 1976.

Career

Bauer was President Obama's personal attorney and the general counsel of the

Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign Barack Obama, then junior United States senator from Illinois, announced his candidacy for president of the United States on February 10, 2007, in Springfield, Illinois. After winning a majority of delegates in the Democratic primaries of 2008, ...

. He has also previously served as the general counsel to the

Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the principal executive leadership board of the United States's Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party. According to the party charter, it has "general responsibility for the affairs of the ...

, and had advised President Obama since 2005. As general counsel for the 2008 campaign, Bauer asked the Justice Department to investigate the officers and donors of American Issues Project after it ran a negative ad about Obama. In November 2009, he was named to be the next

, upon the resignation of Gregory Craig. On June 2, 2011, the White House Press Office stated that Bauer would be returning to private practice at Perkins Coie, and that principal deputy counsel to the President

Kathryn Ruemmler Kathryn H. Ruemmler (born April 19, 1971) is an attorney who was principal deputy White House counsel and then White House Counsel to President Barack Obama. Previously a partner at Latham and Watkins co-chairing its white-collar defense group, ...

(his deputy, in that office since January 2010 and before that since January 2009 as principal associate deputy U.S. attorney general) would succeed him. The position, because it is part of the Executive Office staff that personally advises the president and is not an agency or Cabinet department or military head, does not require Senate confirmation despite the prominence of the office. Bauer returned to private practice to again represent the president's election team and the

. "Bob was a critical member of the White House team," Mr. Obama said. "He has exceptional judgment, wisdom, and intellect, and he will continue to be one of my close advisers." Obama chose Bauer and Benjamin L. Ginsberg, a Republican, in 2013 to co-chair the Presidential Commission on Election Administration, a yearlong investigation into voting problems. Their findings, "The American Voting Experience: Report and Recommendations of the Presidential Commission on Election Administration," were published in 2014. Bauer serves as Professor of the Practice and Distinguished Scholar in Residence at

New York University School of Law The New York University School of Law (NYU Law) is the law school of New York University, a private research university in New York City. Established in 1835, it was the first law school established in New York City and is the oldest survivin ...

. He teaches classes including "The Role of the Lawyer in Public Life" and "Political Reform". Bauer assisted with vetting efforts for the selection of Joe Biden's running mate in the 2020 presidential election. During the

Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign On April 25, 2019, former vice president Joe Biden released a video announcing his candidacy in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries. On November 3, 2020, Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, defeated incumbent Republican p ...

, Bauer participated in mock debate sessions with Biden, impersonating the Republican candidate

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

. He played the role of Donald Trump again in debate preparation during the 2024 presidential campaign. In 2021, Bauer served as the co-chair of the bipartisan commission to study reforms to the US Supreme Court and the federal judiciary. Also in 2021, Bauer joined with Ben Ginsberg, his past co-chair of the Presidential Commission on Election Administration, to found the Election Official Legal Defense Network, a nonprofit project connecting election officials who experience threats, harassment, or exposure to criminal penalties with licensed, qualified pro bono attorneys.

Personal life

Bauer is married to

Anita Dunn Anita Dunn ( Babbitt; born January 8, 1958) is an American political strategist who served as a senior advisor to U.S. President Joe Biden, holding the post from January 20, 2021, to August 12, 2021, and again from May 5, 2022 to August 2024. S ...

, the former director of communications at the White House. He has four children, two daughters-in-law, a son-in-law, and three grandchildren. In 2008, Bauer and Dunn were described as Washington's new "

power couple A supercouple or super couple (also known as a power couple) is a popular and/or wealthy pairing that intrigues and fascinates the public in an intense or obsessive fashion. The term originated in the United States, and it was coined in the earl ...

" by ''

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...

'' magazine.

Bibliography

* ''After Trump - Reconstructing the Presidency''. Bob Bauer and

Jack Goldsmith Jack Landman Goldsmith III (born September 26, 1962) is an American legal scholar. He serves as the Learned Hand Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, where he has written extensively in the fields of international law, civil procedure, feder ...

. Lawfare Institute/Lawfare Press. September 2020. * ''The Unraveling - Reflections on Politics without Ethics and Democracy in Crisis''. Bob Bauer. Rowman & Littlefield. June 2024.

References

External links