Obama said to pick lawyer Cole for top justice job

President Barack Obama plans to nominate James M. Cole, a corporate defense lawyer who served as independent monitor of American International Group Inc, for the No 2 job at the Justice Department, according to a person with knowledge of the decision. Cole is a partner at the law firm of Bryan Cave LLP in Washington and a former Justice Department prosecutor. He would fill the post vacated in February by David W. Ogden, who returned to private practice. Cole was a Justice Department official for 13 years before entering private practice in 1992, according to his law firm’s Web site. He served as deputy chief of the department’s public integrity section, which handles corruption cases involving public officials. Cole’s law practice includes advising companies on securities, regulatory and criminal law matters. Cole was hired as part of a 2004 agreement with the government to monitor AIG’s regulatory compliance, financial reporting, whistle-blower protection and employee retention policies. He submitted confidential reports to the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission.