Janet Napolitano, Barack Obama’s pick for Homeland Security secretary, first came to Washington 17 years ago to represent Anita Hill during Clarence Thomas’ confirmation hearings.

The recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on the nomination of Michael Mukasey to be U.S. attorney general might have passed for a meeting of the Yale Law School alumni association.

Mukasey, class of 1967, was introduced to the committee by Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., also Yale Law class of ‘67.