Charlie Crist now works "For the People"

ORLANDO, Fla. - The people's governor now works "for the people."  At least that's the tagline for his new employer, Morgan and Morgan. Former Governor Charlie Crist announced his new job at the law firm Friday morning.

John Morgan has been Charlie Crist's friend and political supporter for years. Now he's his boss.

"John Morgan has set up a firm of truly gifted people and it's truly a privilege to have this day come," said Crist at a morning meeting for the firm in Orlando.

With Morgan and Morgan, Crist lends political connections, speaking skills and his enduring popularity.

"It's a good fit" says Clearwater personal injury attorney Tom Carey.

When asked why he didn't hire Crist, Carey said his five-lawyer firm wasn't big enough.

Morgan and Morgan has 170 attornies around Florida and across the country.  His direct, sometimes corny TV commercials are in heavy rotation statewide.

And though Charlie Crist is an attorney, his new competitors say it's unlikely he'll be in the courtroom on behalf of accident victims for Morgan and Morgan any time soon.

Personal injury attorney Christopher Ligori of Tampa didn't think Crist had worked a courtroom in 20 years.

"It wouldn't really help (Morgan and Morgan) in their cases, but it would help them raise their profile and give them notoriety," said Ligori.

By joining a plaintiff's law firm, Charlie Crist may be setting himself up as an adversary to the new Governor, Rick Scott who pledged to fight what he called job-killing litigation in his inaugural address.

Tom Carey suspects Crist might even take on the issue of tort reform on behalf of Morgan's law firm.  "Charlie may play a wider role. I hope he does."