John Patrick Hartigan
Encyclopedia
John Patrick Hartigan was a longtime federal judge
in the United States
.
Hartigan was born and spent much of his life in Rhode Island
. As an undergraduate, he attended Harvard University
before graduating from Brown University
; he then obtained simultaneous A.M. and LL.B. degrees from Columbia University
. Hartigan spent two decades practicing as a lawyer
in Providence, Rhode Island
, and served from 1933 to 1939 as the Attorney General of Rhode Island
.
In 1940, President
Franklin D. Roosevelt
named Hartigan as a Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island
, a position he held for 11 years. In 1951, President Harry S. Truman
promoted Hartigan to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
. Hartigan served as an active judge until 1965, when he assumed senior status
. He died in 1968.
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Hartigan was born and spent much of his life in Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
. As an undergraduate, he attended Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
before graduating from Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
; he then obtained simultaneous A.M. and LL.B. degrees from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. Hartigan spent two decades practicing as a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, and served from 1933 to 1939 as the Attorney General of Rhode Island
Attorney General of Rhode Island
The Attorney General of Rhode Island is the Government of the State of Rhode Island's chief legal advisor. The Attorney General is voted in every four years. The position also oversees the State of Rhode Island Department of Law...
.
In 1940, President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
named Hartigan as a Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island
United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island
The United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Rhode Island. The District Court was created in 1790 when Rhode Island ratified the Constitution...
, a position he held for 11 years. In 1951, President Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
promoted Hartigan to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Maine* District of Massachusetts...
. Hartigan served as an active judge until 1965, when he 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...
. He died in 1968.