when was michael mukasey attorney general

by Abbey Schinner PhD 7 min read

How long did Mukasey serve as Attorney General?

Oct 10, 2018 · Michael B. Mukasey. Eighty-First Attorney General 2007-2009. Michael B. Mukasey was born on July 28, 1941 in the Bronx, New York. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Columbia University in 1963 and his law degree from Yale University in 1967. At Yale he was a member of the Board of Editors of the Yale Law Journal.

How old is Michael Mukasey?

Judge Mukasey was nominated to be Attorney General by President George W. Bush on September 17, 2007, and confirmed by the United States Senate on November 8. He entered duty on November 9. He and his wife, Susan, have two grown children, Marc and Jessica, and two grandsons. Printer-Friendly Version Email This Page

What did Michael Mukasey do in the Bush administration?

Michael Mukasey, (born July 28, 1941, New York, New York, U.S.), American lawyer and judge who served as attorney general of the United States (2007–09). Mukasey attended Columbia University (B.A., 1963) and Yale Law School (J.D., 1967). After working in private practice from 1967 to 1972, he served as an assistant U.S. attorney in New York City.

When was Mukasey confirmed by the Senate?

As Attorney General from November 2007 to January 2009, he oversaw the U.S. Department of Justice and advised on critical issues of domestic and international law. Judge Mukasey joined Debevoise as a partner in the litigation practice in New York in February 2009, focusing his practice primarily on internal investigations, independent board reviews and corporate …

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Who appointed Michael Mukasey?

Michael MukaseyJudge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New YorkIn office November 9, 1987 – August 1, 2006Appointed byRonald ReaganPreceded byAbraham David Sofaer22 more rows

Who is the New Attorney General?

Merrick GarlandUnited States Attorney GeneralIncumbent Merrick Garland since March 11, 2021United States Department of JusticeStyleMr. Attorney General (informal) The Honorable (formal)Member ofCabinet National Security Council13 more rows

Who is the DOJ now?

Attorney General GarlandMeet the Attorney General As the nation's chief law enforcement officer, Attorney General Garland leads the Justice Department's 115,000 employees, who work across the United States and in more than 50 countries worldwide.4 days ago

Who was the last US attorney general?

List of U.S. attorneys generalAttorney GeneralYears of serviceMerrick Garland2021-PresentLoretta Lynch2015-2017Eric Holder2009-2015Michael B. Mukasey2007-200982 more rows

Where is Michael Mukasey's portrait?

Ms. Zeller resides in Harrison, New York. Updated October 10, 2018.

When was Joyce Zeller nominated?

The Senate subsequently confirmed his nomination on November 8, 2007. Speeches of Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey. About the Artist: Joyce Zeller. Joyce Zeller studied at the National Academy of Design and the Arts Student League.

Who is Judge Mukasey?

Judge Mukasey was nominated to be Attorney General by President George W. Bush on September 17, 2007, and confirmed by the United States Senate on November 8. He entered duty on November 9. He and his wife, Susan, have two grown children, Marc and Jessica, and two grandsons.

Where was Michael Mukasey born?

Michael Mukasey was born in the Bronx, New York, in 1941 and graduated from Columbia College and Yale Law School, where he was on the Board of Editors of the Yale Law Journal. Prior to becoming Attorney General, he had a lengthy career as an attorney, including service as an Assistant United States Attorney from 1972 to 1976 in New York. ...

What is the name of the school that Mukasey graduated from?

He also received an honorary degree from the Brooklyn Law School. Mukasey's professional and civic activities have included service as a director of the William Nelson Cromwell Foundation and as a director of the Jewish Children's Museum.

Who is Michael Mukasey?

Michael Mukasey, (born July 28, 1941, New York, New York, U.S.), American lawyer and judge who served as attorney general of the United States (2007–09). Mukasey attended Columbia University (B.A., 1963) and Yale Law School (J.D., 1967). After working in private practice from 1967 to 1972, he served as an assistant U.S. attorney in New York City.

When was Mukasey sworn in?

Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now. On November 9, 2007, Mukasey was sworn in as the 81st U.S. attorney general. Mukasey was the third attorney general to serve under Bush.

What did Mukasey say about waterboarding?

In those hearings Mukasey refused to define waterboarding —a type of simulated drowning used to terrify detainees during interrogations—as torture. He also said that he believed that the Constitution gave the president the power to override federal law in some cases.

What did Mukasey do during the 9/11 trial?

Mukasey received death threats during that trial. He also presided over the trial of Jose Padilla, a U.S. citizen accused of being a terrorist. After the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, Mukasey drew criticism for approving the detention of Muslim men as material witnesses in terrorism cases.

When did Judge Mukasey retire?

He rose to chief judge in 2000 and retired from the bench in 2006. From 1993 Mukasey taught law at Columbia University. As a federal judge, Mukasey was viewed as fair-minded. His views on the role of law and the courts in national security were believed to have been shaped by his experience in the federal courtroom.

Did Mukasey have any previous ties to the Bush administration?

Mukasey had no previous ties to the Bush administration, but this stance was seen as a crucial element in Bush’s decision to nominate him to the position of attorney general in 2007. It also led to complications during Senate confirmation hearings.

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Overview

U.S. Attorney General

On September 17, 2007, Mukasey was nominated by President Bush to replace Alberto Gonzalesas the Attorney General. At his nomination press conference with the President, Mukasey stated, "The task of helping to protect our security, which the Justice Department shares with the rest of our government, is not the only task before us. The Justice Department must also protect the safety of o…

Early life and education

Mukasey was born in 1941 in New York City. His father was born near Baranavichy in Belarus (then in the Russian Empire) and emigrated to the U.S. in 1921.
Mukasey graduated in 1959 from the Ramaz School, an independent (formerly boys' and now co-educational) Modern Orthodox Jewish prep school in the Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. His wife, Susan, was later a teacher and headmistress of the lower …

Early career

Mukasey practiced law for 20 years in New York City, serving for four years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York in which he worked with Rudolph Giuliani. From 1967 to 1972, he was an associate with the law firm of Webster Sheffield Fleischmann Hitchcock & Brookfield, later known as Webster & Sheffield. In 1976, he joined the New York law firm of Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler, to which he returned after retirement fro…

Judicial career

On July 27, 1987, Mukasey was nominated to be a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan by President Ronald Reagan, to a seat vacated by Abraham David Sofaer. Mukasey was confirmed by the United States Senate on November 6, 1987, and received his commission on November 9, 1987; he took the bench in 1988. He served in that position for 18 years, including tenure as Chief Judgefrom March 2000 t…

Retirement

Although Article III of the U.S. Constitution entitles district court judges to hold their judicial appointments for life, in June 2006 Mukasey announced that he would retire as a judge and return to private practice at the end of the summer. On August 1, 2006, he was succeeded as Chief Judge of the Southern District by Judge Kimba Wood, entering senior status on the same day. Mukasey's retirement took effect on September 9, 2006. On September 12, 2006, Patterson Belk…

Extrajudicial opinions on law and terrorism

In May 2004, while still a member of the judiciary, Judge Mukasey delivered a speech (which he converted into a The Wall Street Journal opinion piece) that defended the USA PATRIOT Act; the piece also expressed doubt that the FBI engaged in racial profiling of Arabs and criticized the American Library Association for condemning the Patriot Act but not taking a position on librarians imprisoned in Cuba.

Notable issues and comments

Mukasey and Giuliani have been friends since working at the same law firm in the early 1970s. Mukasey pledged to recuse himself from cases involving Giuliani. Newspaper reports assumed that Mukasey would further recuse himself from cases involving Bernard Kerik, a former New York City police commissioner under Giuliani, who was under federal investigation for bribery a…