I visited Tony West of Obama for America and the law firm Morrison and Forrester on Monday of this week to talk about the campaign and why it worked so well and West's future.
West is well known in the San Francisco Bay Area as an excellent plaintiff's lawyer. But West is also known as a supporter and friend of President-Elect Barack Obama. West met Obama in 2004 and offered to help him should he elect to run for President. When Obama did, he called West and thus began West's role as Chair of the fundraising committee for Northern California.
It also started a round of basketball between the two that's gone well enough for Obama to give West a pair of his shoes to wear for games.
Since Obama's election win, West's name has been floated for Mayor of Oakland, a position in some capacity for Obama, and Alameda County District Attorney. West himself says his future may include remaining with Morrison and Forrester as a lawyer.
West's wife Mia was just recently named Vice President of The Ford Foundation, the first African American do hold such a title.
