Bryan Cave Partner Under Consideration for DOJ No. 2

Multiple reports indicate James M. Cole, a partner at Bryan Cave and former Justice Department prosecutor, is the frontrunner to take over the No. 2 job at the Justice Department.

According to Bloomberg, Cole is currently being “vetted” by the Obama administration for the role of deputy attorney general. He would replace former Deputy David Ogden, who vacated the position earlier this year and rejoined WilmerHale.

Cole, a white-collar lawyer, previously spent 13 years with the Justice Department before entering private practice. He also was appointed by the government in 2004 as an independent monitor of American International Group Inc. in which he monitored regulatory compliance and filed confidential reports with the Justice Department and SEC, Bloomberg reports.

According to Bryan Cave’s Web site, Cole tried a number of high-profile cases when previously with the Justice Department, including the prosecution of a member of Congress, a federal prosecutor and a United States District Court Judge.

Cole’s practice includes counseling corporations and individuals before grand juries, in congressional hearings, in court proceedings and before federal agencies.