[JURIST] The US Senate [official website] on Thursday confirmed David Ogden [professional profile; Senate materials] as the new Deputy Attorney General by a vote of 65-28 [roll call]. In debate Wednesday, Republicans opposed to the nomination focused on Ogden's actions while serving in the private sector, where he defended groups who actively opposed anti-pornography and pre-abortion prenatal notification laws. Before the vote, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) [official website] urged colleagues not to characterize Ogden by his clients:

Nominees from both Republican and Democratic administrations and Senators from both sides of the aisle have cautioned against opposing nominees based on their legal representations on behalf of clients. Like many others in this Chamber, I felt privileged to serve as a prosecutor, but I would hate to think I could not have served in that position because, before I was a prosecutor, I defended people who were accused of crimes. I was a lawyer. I wanted to make sure clients were given equal protection of the law. If we start singling out somebody because of their clients, what do you do? Do you say to this person: You defended somebody charged with murder and therefore you are in favor of murder?

Ogden faced questions about his clients [JURIST report] in confirmation hearings last month.

Ogden was nominated [JURIST report] as Deputy Attorney General in January by then President-elect Barack Obama. He was previously in private practice with the law firm WilmerHale [firm website].