James E. Rogan
Encyclopedia
James Edward Rogan is a judge of the Superior Court of California, a law professor, an author, and a former Member of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. He also was United States Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property, Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...

 Majority Leader
Majority leader
In U.S. politics, the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.In the federal Congress, the role differs slightly in the two houses. In the House of Representatives, which chooses its own presiding officer, the leader of the majority party is elected the Speaker of the...

, a judge of the California Municipal Court, a gang murder prosecutor with the Los Angeles County District Attorney
Los Angeles County District Attorney
The District Attorney of Los Angeles County prosecutes felony and misdemeanor crimes that occur within the jurisdiction of Los Angeles County, California....

's office, and a civil litigator in private law practice. In January 2007 President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

 nominated Rogan to be a federal judge for the United States District Court for the Central District of California
United States District Court for the Central District of California
The United States District Court for the Central District of California serves over 18 million people in southern and central California, making it the largest federal judicial district by population...

, but the Senate failed to act on the nomination before the expiration of Bush's presidential term of office.

Personal

The illegitimate son of a bartender father and cocktail waitress mother, Rogan was born in the hardscrabble Mission District of San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. Rogan's father abandoned his mother when he learned of her pregnancy. Raised by his grandmother Helen and grandfather James Kleupfer - - a longshoreman for over 40 years on the docks of San Francisco - - Rogan was still a boy when both grandparents died. He then lived with his great aunt, Della Glover, until her death. In his early teens Rogan joined his mother and three younger siblings. The family lived on hard times: his single mother (by now a convicted felon) worked at a variety of unskilled jobs while collecting welfare and food stamps.

Rogan dropped out of high school in the tenth grade to go to work, taking a string of low-paying jobs like mopping and sweeping floors, scrubbing toilets, fast-food cook, stacking truck tires, and selling vacuum cleaners door-to-door. Although he never completed high school formally, Rogan attended Chabot Community College--now Las Positas Community College--in Livermore
Livermore
Livermore may refer to:In places in the US:*Livermore, California**Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy lab in Livermore, California**Livermore Valley AVA, California wine region in Alameda County*Livermore, Colorado...

, California, before earning a bachelor's degree from the University of California at Berkeley, and later his law degree from UCLA Law School, where he was a member of the prestigious UCLA Law Review. Rogan helped pay his way through law school by working as a bartender and bouncer at several of Hollywood and the Sunset Strip's rougher night clubs, including a Hell's Angels hangout, "Filthy McNasty's," (now the Viper Room
Viper Room
The Viper Room is a nightclub located on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California. It was opened in 1993 and was partly owned by actor Johnny Depp until 2004. The club became known for being a hangout of Hollywood elite, and was the site where actor River Phoenix died of a drug overdose on...

) and the legendary "Palomino Club
Palomino Club (North Hollywood)
The Palomino Club was a music venue in North Hollywood, called "Country Music's most important West Coast club" by the Los Angeles Times. It featured such performers as Johnny Cash, Linda Ronstadt, Buck Owens, Patsy Cline, Delaney Bramlett, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Johnny Carver, Hoyt Axton,...

."

Rogan married Christine Apffel in 1988; they have twin daughters.

Early professional career

Rogan did a short stint (1983–1985) as a civil litigation attorney in one of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

’ oldest law firms (Lillick McHose & Charles). He resigned from his firm and signed on as a Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney
Los Angeles County District Attorney
The District Attorney of Los Angeles County prosecutes felony and misdemeanor crimes that occur within the jurisdiction of Los Angeles County, California....

, where he later was recruited to the “Hardcore Gang Murder Unit.” Rogan specialized in the prosecution of some of L.A.’s most notorious street gangs. In a 1990 statewide poll of prosecutors, defense attorneys and judges, California Lawyer Magazine named Rogan as one of the state’s most effective prosecutors.

Later that year California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 Governor George Deukmejian
George Deukmejian
Courken George Deukmejian, Jr. born June 6, 1928) is an Armenian American politician from California who as a Republican served as the 35th Governor of California and as California Attorney General .-Early life:...

 appointed the 33 year-old prosecutor to be a judge of the Glendale Municipal Court. Rogan was California's youngest sitting state court judge at the time of his elevation to the bench. During his service on the municipal court (1990-1994) Rogan presided over thousands of civil and criminal cases. In 1993 his colleagues elected him presiding judge of their local court.

Rogan began teaching as an adjunct professor of law in 1987; over the next two decades he taught at various law schools in Southern California, and continues teaching to date. He has been an adjunct professor of criminal law, criminal procedure, trial practice and trial advocacy, and has lectured in many other areas of law, including evidence and intellectual property.

California State Assembly

In 1994, Rogan ran for and won a special election to the California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...

, where in his freshman term his colleagues elected him Majority Leader
Majority leader
In U.S. politics, the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.In the federal Congress, the role differs slightly in the two houses. In the House of Representatives, which chooses its own presiding officer, the leader of the majority party is elected the Speaker of the...

. California Journal Magazine named him the Assembly’s most effective legislator, and ranked him “number one in integrity” and “number one in effectiveness.” Rogan served on the Assembly’s Appropriations, Budget, Public Safety, Natural Resources, and Education Committees.

United States Congress

In 1996, Rogan won the first of two terms to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

. Elected in a very close election with just 50.1%, Rogan became one of only two House members to serve on both the House Commerce Committee and the House Judiciary Committee - - two of the most prestigious committees in Congress.

As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, Rogan and his colleagues were responsible for reviewing all proposed legislation dealing with a variety of complex issues, including all intellectual property issues (copyrights, patents and trademarks); protection of trade and commerce against unlawful restraint of trade and monopolies; the judiciary and all judicial proceedings (civil and criminal); administrative proceedings; immigration issues; bankruptcy law, and all proposed constitutional amendments.

As a member of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property, Rogan developed an international reputation as a leader on both the protection of intellectual property and the modernization of intellectual property laws to protect America’s economic interests.

As a member of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration, Rogan was a leader in helping to increase the number of H1-B immigration visas that are critical to America’s high-tech community.

As a member of the House Commerce Committee, Rogan served on the oldest and most powerful Committee in the House. Further, as a member of the two most critical subcommittees (the Telecommunications, Trade and Consumer Protection subcommittee, and the Energy and Power subcommittee) Rogan shared responsibility for helping to craft legislation on all matters of interstate and foreign commerce and trade; interstate and foreign telecommunications, regulation of commercial practices (including the Federal Trade Commission); consumer affairs and consumer protection; product liability issues; motor vehicle safety; and all laws relating to national energy policy, including utility issues, and regulation of nuclear facilities.

During his congressional service, Rogan was Assistant Majority Whip for the House Republican Conference. In this capacity, Rogan helped mobilize House votes on key legislative objectives, provided legislative information to Members and the House leadership, and helped to coordinate legislative and political strategies within the Congress. He also was a member of both Speaker Newt Gingrich’s and Majority Leader Richard Armey's “Kitchen Cabinet” advisory groups: Rogan met regularly with the Speaker and the Majority Leader to discuss political and legislative strategies and tactics during the congressional session. Speaker Gingrich named Rogan as co-chairman of the Speaker’s High Tech Task Force, and also named Rogan to be Speaker Pro Tempore on many occasions when Rogan presided over the House during debate and votes on legislation.

The Impeachment Trial of President Bill Clinton

Because of his background as a prosecutor and his reputation for respect among Republicans and Democrats, Rogan was selected to be one of the 13 House Managers in the historic impeachment trial
Impeachment of Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton, President of the United States, was impeached by the House of Representatives on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice on December 19, 1998, but acquitted by the Senate on February 12, 1999. Two other impeachment articles, a second perjury charge and a charge of abuse of...

 of President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...

. This role gave Rogan worldwide recognition.

Although Rogan and his predecessor as U.S. Representative for California's 27th District were both Republican, many of the district's constituents opposed the impeachment of President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...

, a Democrat. In 2000, Democrats made defeating Rogan a high priority in the U.S. House races, and he was defeated by state Senator Adam Schiff
Adam Schiff
Adam Bennett Schiff is the U.S. Representative for . He has served in Congress since 2001. He is a member of the Democratic Party...

. Rogan’s defeat for reelection in 2000, in what was the most expensive House race in American history at the time (several elections in 2006 and 2008 later eclipsed it), is widely attributed to his vote for impeachment.

Post-Congressional career

Shortly after leaving Congress, President George W. Bush selected Rogan to be the U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property
Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property
The Under Secretary for Intellectual Property, within the United States Department of Commerce, is the Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office...

 and Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Although controlled by a Democratic majority, the U.S. Senate confirmed Rogan unanimously, and he assumed office in December 2001. In this new role, Rogan ran one of the oldest agencies in the federal government, overseeing 8,000 employees and a $1.5 billion budget. He served as chief advisor to the president on all matters of intellectual property. Rogan authored the USPTO’s 21st Century Strategic Plan, a reorganization of the 214 year-old agency to modernize and integrate its operations with the leading world intellectual property offices. As Under Secretary and Director, Rogan headed over a dozen U.S. delegations on overseas visits to negotiate bilateral and multilateral intellectual property agreements.

Rogan left the Bush Administration in early 2004, and joined the law firm of Venable LLP
Venable LLP
Venable LLP is a law firm formerly known as Venable, Baetjer & Howard LLP. The firm is . It was founded in Baltimore in 1900. Today the firm maintains 7 offices throughout the country and includes over 500 attorneys practicing in over covering corporate and business law, complex litigation,...

, where he worked as a partner in their Southern California and Washington, D.C offices. Later, he joined Preston Gates & Ellis
Preston Gates & Ellis
Preston Gates & Ellis, LLP, also known as Preston Gates, was a law firm with offices in the United States, China and Taiwan. Its main office was in the IDX Tower in Seattle, Washington...

 LLP as of counsel
Of counsel
Of counsel is often the title of an attorney who is employed by a law firm or an organization, but is not an associate or a partner. Some firms use titles like "counsel," "special counsel," and "senior counsel" for the same concept...

, working out of their Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...

 and Washington, D.C. offices.

In 2004 Harper Collins published Rogan’s memoir, Rough Edges: My Unlikely Road from Welfare to Washington. Later, Reader's Digest selected Rogan's popular autobiography as one of its top nonfiction books for 2004-2005.

In July 2006, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....

 appointed Rogan to serve as a judge on the Superior Court of California in Orange County; Rogan took office in October 2006.

In January 2007, President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

 nominated Rogan for a federal judgeship for the United States District Court for the Central District of California
United States District Court for the Central District of California
The United States District Court for the Central District of California serves over 18 million people in southern and central California, making it the largest federal judicial district by population...

. Rogan's nomination received broad bipartisan support, including the unanimous approval of Democratic U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein judicial nominee review committee, along with the highest rating from the American Bar Association. Despite this, the Democrat-controlled United States Senate Judiciary Committee declined to give Rogan's nomination a hearing because U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer put a hold on the nomination, citing Rogan's role in Clinton's impeachment as the reason. Rogan's nomination died at the end of the 109th Congress in January 2009 because the Senate failed to act on it.

In 2011, WND Books published Rogan's second memoir, Catching Our Flag: Behind the Scenes of a Presidential Impeachment. Based on Rogan's more than three feet of behind the scenes contemporaneous notes and diaries, he opened this archive for both modern readers and for history by penning the ultimate insider’s story on what led a very reluctant House of Representatives to impeach a then-very popular American president. At the time of publication, Rogan revealed that, from his first day on the House Judiciary Committee, he knew if the scandal ever led to impeachment proceedings, future accounts would suffer from faulty memories or faulty motives. To combat the threat of factual or historical error, Rogan kept copious notes during every significant meeting relating to impeachment from his first day on the Committee. He said he did this so there would be a complete and accurate historical chronicle - - the best evidence - - of what really happened behind the scenes in the unfolding drama.

Rogan continues sitting as a felony trial court judge on the California Superior Court (in Orange County); he won election to a full term without opposition in 2008. For the past several years, he has served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Chapman University School of Law
Chapman University School of Law
Chapman University School of Law, commonly referred to as Chapman Law or Chapman Law School, is a private, non-profit law school located in Orange, California. The school offers the Juris Doctor degree , combined programs offering a JD/MBA and JD/MFA in Film & Television Producing, and LL.M...

 in Orange, California
Orange, California
Southern California is well-known for year-round pleasant weather: - On average, the warmest month is August. - The highest recorded temperature was in 1985. - On average, the coolest month is December. - The lowest recorded temperature was in 1950...

, where he teaches courses on Criminal Procedure and Trial Practice.http://www.chapman.edu/law/faculty/adjunct/rogan.asp

External links

  • Congressional biography
  • http://www.amazon.com/Rough-Edges-Unlikely-Welfare-Washington/dp/0060580593/ref=sr_1_1/103-2734393-9467837?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189345764&sr=8-1
  • http://www.amazon.com/Catching-Our-Flag-Presidential-Impeachment/dp/1935071327/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1304879185&sr=8-1
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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