President Barack Obama announced Monday that Northwestern School of Law alumnus W. Neil Eggleston (Law ‘78) will serve as the next White House counsel.

“Neil brings extraordinary expertise, credentials and experience to our team,” Obama said in a statement. “He has a passion for public service, is renowned for his conscientiousness and foresight, and I look forward to working closely with him in the coming years.”

Eggleston is a litigation partner at the firm Kirkland & Ellis. His practice areas include corporate governance, civil litigation, internal investigations and allegations of fraud, according to the firm’s website. He represented former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel in the prosecution of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Law School Dean Daniel Rodriguez congratulated Eggleston on his personal blog after the announcement.

“Neil Eggleston’s commitment to public service is legendary,” Rodriguez said in a news release. “I can think of no one more qualified to advise the president on the most important policy questions and legal issues of our day.”

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