DC's Alston & Bird takes on Bob Dole

The septuagenarian is joining the firm as special counsel and will concentrate on international and domestic legislative and regulatory affairs, policy, and healthcare. A statement from Alston & Bird states that these subjects are "of deep personal interest to Senator Dole".

The US's longest serving Republican leader, who gained his law degree from Washburn Municipal University of Kansas in 1952, held a similar position at Verner Liipfert Bernhard McPherson & Hand, which has since merged with Piper Rudnick.

Philip Cook, joint managing partner at Alston & Bird, declined to divulge how much Dole would be paid for his services to the firm. However, he did say that the firm employs a number of senior lawyers at "robust" compensation levels.

Dole is famed for running, ultimately unsuccessfully, against Bill Clinton in 1996 to become US President. Previously, in 1976, President Gerald Ford asked him to be his vice-president.