Edwards Is Back, Attorneys Rejoice

This morning, former North Carolina Senator and Democratic vice-presidential nominee John Edwards made the oh-so-shocking announcement that he would seek his party's nomination for president in 2008.

If 2004 is any indication, Edwards' trial lawyer brethren will be lining up to throw money at their favorite son. [This list] of Edwards' top New York contributors for the 2004 cycle is littered with lawyers, as is this [nationwide contributor list](http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?NumOfThou=0&txtName=&txtState=%28all+states%29&txtZip=&txtEmploy=&txtCand=Edwards&txt2004=Y&Order=A) from the same year.

Edwards is a strong voice against tort reform, having made his money as a medical malpractice lawyer, thus the legal support should come as no surprise. As for local political support, Bronx City Councilman G. Oliver Koppell, an attorney himself, ponied up $2,000 to the Edwards campaign in 2004.