Abraham Lincoln Marovitz
Encyclopedia
Abraham Lincoln Marovitz (August 10, 1905 – March 17, 2001) was a federal judge
on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
.
to Orthodox Jewish parents who were Lithuanian immigrants, Marovitz grew up in the Maxwell Street area of Chicago, after his parents moved to Chicago in 1910. Marovitz spent his youth selling newspapers, delivering groceries and prizefighting. As a teenager, he also worked as an office boy for a law firm, where a partner encouraged him to attend law school (and agreed to fund his tuition), even though Marovitz did not have a college degree. "In those days, you didn't need a college degree to go to law school," Marovitz later said. "So that's how I wound up the only sitting federal judge who never went to college." Marovitz earned a law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law
in 1925 at the age of 19, and he was at that point still 20 months too young to sit for the Illinois bar exam, which required all test-takers to be 21 years old. Marovitz took the exam when he turned 21, and passed it on his first try.
. He then worked in private legal practice in Chicago with his brothers, Harold and Sydney, from 1933 until 1950. Concurrently, Marovitz was an elected member of the Illinois State Senate from 1939 until 1950, becoming Illinois' first-ever Jewish state senator. In 1950, Marovitz became a Superior Court judge in Cook County. He served as a Superior Court judge until his appointment to the federal bench in 1963.
nominated Marovitz to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
vacated by Julius H. Miner. The United States Senate
confirmed Marovitz on September 25, 1963, and received commission on October 2, 1963.
Marovitz assumed senior status
on his 70th birthday, on August 10, 1975.
In 2003, Marovitz's estate donated his papers to the Richard J. Daley
Library at the University of Illinois at Chicago
.
chief executive officer Christie Hefner.
United States federal judge
In the United States, the title of federal judge usually means a judge appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate in accordance with Article II of the United States Constitution....
on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois is the trial-level court with jurisdiction over the northern counties of Illinois....
.
Early life and education
Born in Oshkosh, WisconsinOshkosh, Wisconsin
As of the census of 2000, there were 62,916 people, 24,082 households, and 13,654 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,662.2 people per square mile . There were 25,420 housing units at an average density of 1,075.6 per square mile...
to Orthodox Jewish parents who were Lithuanian immigrants, Marovitz grew up in the Maxwell Street area of Chicago, after his parents moved to Chicago in 1910. Marovitz spent his youth selling newspapers, delivering groceries and prizefighting. As a teenager, he also worked as an office boy for a law firm, where a partner encouraged him to attend law school (and agreed to fund his tuition), even though Marovitz did not have a college degree. "In those days, you didn't need a college degree to go to law school," Marovitz later said. "So that's how I wound up the only sitting federal judge who never went to college." Marovitz earned a law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law
Chicago-Kent College of Law
Chicago–Kent College of Law, the law school affiliated with Illinois Institute of Technology, is nationally recognized for the scholarship and accomplishments of its faculty and student body. It is the second oldest law school in the state of Illinois. Many of the applications of technology in the...
in 1925 at the age of 19, and he was at that point still 20 months too young to sit for the Illinois bar exam, which required all test-takers to be 21 years old. Marovitz took the exam when he turned 21, and passed it on his first try.
Professional career
From 1927 until 1933, Marovitz was an assistant state's attorney in Cook County, IllinoisCook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
. He then worked in private legal practice in Chicago with his brothers, Harold and Sydney, from 1933 until 1950. Concurrently, Marovitz was an elected member of the Illinois State Senate from 1939 until 1950, becoming Illinois' first-ever Jewish state senator. In 1950, Marovitz became a Superior Court judge in Cook County. He served as a Superior Court judge until his appointment to the federal bench in 1963.
Federal judicial service
On July 16, 1963, President John F. KennedyJohn F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
nominated Marovitz to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois is the trial-level court with jurisdiction over the northern counties of Illinois....
vacated by Julius H. Miner. The United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
confirmed Marovitz on September 25, 1963, and received commission on October 2, 1963.
Marovitz assumed senior status
Senior status
Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges, and judges in some state court systems. After federal judges have reached a certain combination of age and years of service on the federal courts, they are allowed to assume senior status...
on his 70th birthday, on August 10, 1975.
Death
Marovitz died on March 17, 2001 of kidney failure at his home on Chicago's North Side.In 2003, Marovitz's estate donated his papers to the Richard J. Daley
Richard J. Daley
Richard Joseph Daley served for 21 years as the mayor and undisputed Democratic boss of Chicago and is considered by historians to be the "last of the big city bosses." He played a major role in the history of the Democratic Party, especially with his support of John F...
Library at the University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Illinois at Chicago
The University of Illinois at Chicago, or UIC, is a state-funded public research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, near the Chicago Loop...
.
Family
Marovitz never married. One of his nephews, William Marovitz, later became an Illinois state senator himself and is married to Playboy EnterprisesPlayboy Enterprises
Playboy Enterprises, Inc. is a privately held global media and lifestyle company founded by Hugh Marston Hefner to manage the Playboy magazine empire. Its programming and content are available worldwide on television networks, Websites, mobile platforms and radio...
chief executive officer Christie Hefner.