Washington:
President Barack Obama's White House attorney plans to leave for private practice by the end of the year.
White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler has worked for the Obama administration since the first day. She has told Obama she plans to leave government service and look for a job in New York.
The 42-year-old former prosecutor is a member of the president's national security team and advises him on a wide range of legal issues, including his health care law, counterterrorism and judicial appointees.
Her departure was first reported by Politico and confirmed by the White House.
She was promoted to her current job in 2011, after serving as the No. 2 in the counsel's office. Before that, she was a top political appointee at the Justice Department.