Law360, New York ( November 13, 2012, 12:23 PM EST) -- Even before the networks called the election, potential presidential appointees began angling for positions in a second-term Obama administration. With the election now decided, hundreds more will join the hunt for plum jobs. In the weeks and months ahead, many senior administration officials — from Cabinet secretaries on down — will return to the private sector, opening up spots in the upper echelons of American government. Unless they have been through it before, those seeking to fill positions are likely to be stunned by the intense, time-consuming and highly intrusive vetting process they will have to undergo. Many will find it necessary to do something they had never even considered when applying for previous jobs: get a lawyer....