Maureen Mahoney
Encyclopedia
Maureen E. Mahoney is a former deputy solicitor general and "top appellate lawyer" at the law firm of Latham & Watkins
in Washington, D.C.
who has argued cases
before the Supreme Court of the United States
. Notably, she argued on behalf of the University of Michigan
and its affirmative action
program in Grutter v. Bollinger
(2003), in which the Court decided in favor of Michigan by a 5-4 vote.
in 1961, when she was in first grade. Mahoney announced at age eight that she wanted to be a lawyer just like her father, who was a personal injury
attorney.
Mahoney graduated from Merrillville High School in 1972, where she was on the school's swim team. Mahoney earned her undergraduate degree in Political Science from Indiana University
and her J.D.
from the University of Chicago Law School
, where she served on the school's law review.
Mahoney was a clerk
for Judge Robert Sprecher of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
before clerking for then-Associate Justice
William Rehnquist
in the George H. W. Bush
administration, where she was a colleague of future Chief Justice of the United States
John G. Roberts. In April 1992, President George H. W. Bush
nominated her to serve as a judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
, but her nomination was not acted upon by the Senate
before Bush's presidency ended. "It was definitely the low point of my career," she has said. "I never had a hearing, and there was never any opposition that I knew of, so it wasn't ugly. It was just disappointing."
In 1993, Mahoney rejoined Latham & Watkins.
Mahoney is Joseph Nacchio
's lead defense attorney in the proceedings surrounding his alleged insider trading
.
' withdrawal of her Supreme Court
nomination made Mahoney a possible candidate for the Supreme Court in 2005. However, her position in the University of Michigan affirmative action
cases raised concerns among conservatives, and she ultimately was passed over in favor of Samuel Alito
. "I already have a dream job, but it's extremely flattering to be considered," she told the Times of Northwest Indiana.
Mahoney was also mentioned as a possible Supreme Court nominee in a John McCain
presidency.
Mayor Rudy Giuliani
in the 2008 presidential election
.
and also have a vacation home in Nantucket, Massachusetts
. They have two children.
Mahoney also is known for her ritual of eating a donut
before each oral argument. "When I swam as a kid, my coach told me I needed sugar in me if I wanted to compete," Mahoney has explained.
Latham & Watkins
Latham & Watkins LLP is a global law firm, one of the largest in the world. Latham currently employs approximately 2,000 attorneys in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The firm was started in Los Angeles in 1934 and has extensive Californian roots, but its largest office is now...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
who has argued cases
Oral argument
Oral arguments are spoken presentations to a judge or appellate court by a lawyer of the legal reasons why they should prevail. Oral argument at the appellate level accompanies written briefs, which also advance the argument of each party in the legal dispute...
before the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
. Notably, she argued on behalf of the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and its affirmative action
Affirmative action
Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
program in Grutter v. Bollinger
Grutter v. Bollinger
Grutter v. Bollinger, 539 U.S. 306 , was a case in which the United States Supreme Court upheld the affirmative action admissions policy of the University of Michigan Law School...
(2003), in which the Court decided in favor of Michigan by a 5-4 vote.
Early life and education
Mahoney was born in South Bend, while her father was attending the University of Notre Dame Law School. The family moved to Merrillville, IndianaMerrillville, Indiana
Merrillville is a town in Ross Township, Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 35,246 at the 2010 census. Merrillville is located in the east-central portion of Lake County.-Geography:Merrillville is located at ....
in 1961, when she was in first grade. Mahoney announced at age eight that she wanted to be a lawyer just like her father, who was a personal injury
Personal injury
Personal injury is a legal term for an injury to the body, mind or emotions, as opposed to an injury to property. The term is most commonly used to refer to a type of tort lawsuit alleging that the plaintiff's injury has been caused by the negligence of another, but also arises in defamation...
attorney.
Mahoney graduated from Merrillville High School in 1972, where she was on the school's swim team. Mahoney earned her undergraduate degree in Political Science from Indiana University
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
and her J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from the University of Chicago Law School
University of Chicago Law School
The University of Chicago Law School was founded in 1902 as the graduate school of law at the University of Chicago and is among the most prestigious and selective law schools in the world. The U.S. News & World Report currently ranks it fifth among U.S...
, where she served on the school's law review.
Mahoney was a clerk
Law clerk
A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person who provides assistance to a judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions. Law clerks are not court clerks or courtroom deputies, who are administrative staff for the court. Most law clerks are recent law school graduates who...
for Judge Robert Sprecher of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the courts in the following districts:* Central District of Illinois* Northern District of Illinois...
before clerking for then-Associate Justice
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States are the members of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the Chief Justice of the United States...
William Rehnquist
William Rehnquist
William Hubbs Rehnquist was an American lawyer, jurist, and political figure who served as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States and later as the 16th Chief Justice of the United States...
Professional career
Mahoney joined Latham & Watkins in 1980 and remained at the firm for the next 11 years. She then served as Deputy Solicitor GeneralUnited States Solicitor General
The United States Solicitor General is the person appointed to represent the federal government of the United States before the Supreme Court of the United States. The current Solicitor General, Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 6, 2011 and sworn in on June...
in the George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
administration, where she was a colleague of future Chief Justice of the United States
Chief Justice of the United States
The Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the United States federal court system and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Chief Justice is one of nine Supreme Court justices; the other eight are the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States...
John G. Roberts. In April 1992, President George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
nominated her to serve as a judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia is one of two United States district courts serving the Commonwealth of Virginia...
, but her nomination was not acted upon by the 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...
before Bush's presidency ended. "It was definitely the low point of my career," she has said. "I never had a hearing, and there was never any opposition that I knew of, so it wasn't ugly. It was just disappointing."
In 1993, Mahoney rejoined Latham & Watkins.
Mahoney is Joseph Nacchio
Joseph Nacchio
Joseph P. Nacchio , was chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Qwest Communications International from 1997 to 2002. He was convicted of 19 counts of insider trading in Qwest stock on April 19, 2007. On July 27, 2007, he was sentenced to six years in federal prison...
's lead defense attorney in the proceedings surrounding his alleged insider trading
Insider trading
Insider trading is the trading of a corporation's stock or other securities by individuals with potential access to non-public information about the company...
.
Supreme Court speculation
Harriet MiersHarriet Miers
Harriet Ellan Miers is an American lawyer and former White House Counsel. In 2005, she was nominated by President George W. Bush to be an Associate Justice of the U.S...
' withdrawal of her Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
nomination made Mahoney a possible candidate for the Supreme Court in 2005. However, her position in the University of Michigan affirmative action
Affirmative action
Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
cases raised concerns among conservatives, and she ultimately was passed over in favor of Samuel Alito
Samuel Alito
Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr. is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He was nominated by President George W. Bush and has served on the court since January 31, 2006....
. "I already have a dream job, but it's extremely flattering to be considered," she told the Times of Northwest Indiana.
Mahoney was also mentioned as a possible Supreme Court nominee in a John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
presidency.
Politics
Mahoney supported former New YorkNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
Mayor Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
in the 2008 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
.
Personal
Mahoney is married to Washington, D.C. lawyer William H. Crispin. They live in Alexandria, VirginiaAlexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
and also have a vacation home in Nantucket, Massachusetts
Nantucket, Massachusetts
Nantucket is an island south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in the United States. Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck and Muskeget, it constitutes the town of Nantucket, Massachusetts, and the coterminous Nantucket County, which are consolidated. Part of the town is designated the Nantucket...
. They have two children.
Mahoney also is known for her ritual of eating a donut
DONUT
DONUT was an experiment at Fermilab dedicated to the search for tau neutrino interactions. Even though the detector operated only during a few months in the summer of 1997, it was largely successful. By detecting the tau neutrino, it confirmed the existence of the last lepton predicted by the...
before each oral argument. "When I swam as a kid, my coach told me I needed sugar in me if I wanted to compete," Mahoney has explained.
See also
- List of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States
- George W. Bush Supreme Court candidates