Joseph Louis Tauro
Encyclopedia
Joseph Louis Tauro (ˈtɔroʊ; born 1931) is a United States federal judge
. He is the son of the late Massachusetts Chief Justice G. Joseph Tauro
.
Born in Winchester, Massachusetts
, Tauro received an A.B.
from Brown University
in 1953 and an LL.B. from Cornell Law School
in 1956. He was a First Lieutenant in the United States Army
from 1956 to 1958, and was an assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts from 1959 to 1960. He was in private practice in Boston
and Lynn, Massachusetts
, from 1960 to 1971. He was a chief legal counsel to the Governor of Massachusetts
, John A. Volpe
, from 1965 to 1968. He was the United States Attorney
for the District of Massachusetts in 1972.
On September 12, 1972, Tauro was nominated by President Richard M. Nixon to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
vacated by Francis J. W. Ford. Tauro was confirmed by the United States Senate
on October 12, 1972, and received his commission on October 17, 1972. He served as chief judge from 1992 to 1999. Tauro remains the longest-serving active judge appointed by Nixon.
On July 8, 2010, in the cases of Gill v. Office of Personnel Management
and Massachusetts v. United States Department of Health and Human Services
, Tauro issued decisions holding unconstitutional that part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act
that defined marriage "as a legal union exclusively between one man and one woman." Those decisions are automatically stayed for two weeks by federal court rules and were extended when the Department of Justice appealed on October 12, 2010.
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....
. He is the son of the late Massachusetts Chief Justice G. Joseph Tauro
G. Joseph Tauro
G. Joseph Tauro was the Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court from 1970 to 1976.Tauro was born in Lynn to an Italian immigrant cobbler and his wife. He graduated from Lynn public schools and attended Boston University's College of Business Administration for a year before...
.
Born in Winchester, Massachusetts
Winchester, Massachusetts
Winchester is a town located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, eight miles north of Boston. With its agricultural roots having mostly disappeared, it is now an affluent suburb...
, Tauro received an A.B.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
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 ,...
in 1953 and an LL.B. from Cornell Law School
Cornell Law School
Cornell Law School, located in Ithaca, New York, is a graduate school of Cornell University and one of the five Ivy League law schools. The school confers three law degrees...
in 1956. He was a First Lieutenant in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
from 1956 to 1958, and was an assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts from 1959 to 1960. He was in private practice in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 89,050 at the 2000 census. An old industrial center, Lynn is home to Lynn Beach and Lynn Heritage State Park and is about north of downtown Boston.-17th century:...
, from 1960 to 1971. He was a chief legal counsel to the Governor of Massachusetts
Governor of Massachusetts
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...
, John A. Volpe
John A. Volpe
John Anthony Volpe was the 61st and 63rd Governor of Massachusetts and a U.S. Secretary of Transportation.-Early life and education:Volpe was born in 1908 in Wakefield, Massachusetts. He was the son of Italian immigrants Vito and Filomena , who had come from Abruzzo to Boston's North End in 1905;...
, from 1965 to 1968. He was the United States Attorney
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
for the District of Massachusetts in 1972.
On September 12, 1972, Tauro was nominated by President Richard M. Nixon to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
The United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, USA. The first court session was held in Boston in 1789. The second term was held in Salem in 1790 and until 1813 court session locations...
vacated by Francis J. W. Ford. Tauro was confirmed by 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...
on October 12, 1972, and received his commission on October 17, 1972. He served as chief judge from 1992 to 1999. Tauro remains the longest-serving active judge appointed by Nixon.
On July 8, 2010, in the cases of Gill v. Office of Personnel Management
Gill v. Office of Personnel Management
Gill et al. v. Office of Personnel Management 699 F.Supp.2d 374 is a lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts...
and Massachusetts v. United States Department of Health and Human Services
Massachusetts v. United States Department of Health and Human Services
Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. United States Department of Health and Human Services 698 F.Supp.2d 234 is a lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts...
, Tauro issued decisions holding unconstitutional that part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act
Defense of Marriage Act
The Defense of Marriage Act is a United States federal law whereby the federal government defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. Under the law, no U.S. state may be required to recognize as a marriage a same-sex relationship considered a marriage in another state...
that defined marriage "as a legal union exclusively between one man and one woman." Those decisions are automatically stayed for two weeks by federal court rules and were extended when the Department of Justice appealed on October 12, 2010.