Mike Moore (Mississippi politician)
Encyclopedia
Michael Moore was the Attorney General
for the U.S. State
of Mississippi
from 1988 to 2004. In 1994, he filed the first lawsuit against thirteen tobacco companies, claiming that they should reimburse the State for the costs of treating those with smoking-related illnesses. Attorneys General from several other states joined the suit, with Moore as the lead negotiator. The settlement was worth $246 billion to the states, including $4.1 billion for Mississippi. The Michael Mann-directed film The Insider
(starring Al Pacino
and Russell Crowe
) portrays some of the events leading up to this settlement, and Moore appears in the film as himself in several scenes.
Moore received his J.D.
in 1979 from the University of Mississippi School of Law
. He served as the District Attorney
for Pascagoula. In 1997 he was awarded "Lawyer of the Year" by the National Law Journal.
In 1989, during his first term as Attorney General, Moore ran in a special election for the U.S. House of Representatives in the fifth congressional district (today the fourth
) following the death of Representative Larkin I. Smith
. Despite being the favorite among Democrats, Moore came in third in the initial round of balloting, behind Democratic state Senator Gene Taylor and Republican Tom Anderson. Taylor went on to defeat Anderson in the runoff.
Moore is now head of Mike Moore Law Firm LLC in Jackson, Mississippi
. He serves as the Chairman of the Board for the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi. Initially created to receive funding from a large tobacco settlement won on behalf of Mississippi victims, the court order providing this funding was later vacated after a suit was filed by then Governor Haley Barbour
. Moore also sits on the Board of Directors for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, and on the Advisory Board of Prepaid Legal, Inc.
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
for the U.S. State
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
from 1988 to 2004. In 1994, he filed the first lawsuit against thirteen tobacco companies, claiming that they should reimburse the State for the costs of treating those with smoking-related illnesses. Attorneys General from several other states joined the suit, with Moore as the lead negotiator. The settlement was worth $246 billion to the states, including $4.1 billion for Mississippi. The Michael Mann-directed film The Insider
The Insider (film)
The Insider is a 1999 film based on the true story of a 60 Minutes television series segment, as seen through the eyes of a real tobacco executive, Jeffrey Wigand. The 60 Minutes story originally aired in November 1995 in an altered form because of objections by CBS’ then-owner, Laurence Tisch, who...
(starring Al Pacino
Al Pacino
Alfredo James "Al" Pacino is an American film and stage actor and director. He is famous for playing mobsters, including Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy, Tony Montana in Scarface, Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice in Dick Tracy and Carlito Brigante in Carlito's Way, though he has also appeared...
and Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
) portrays some of the events leading up to this settlement, and Moore appears in the film as himself in several scenes.
Moore received his 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...
in 1979 from the University of Mississippi School of Law
University of Mississippi School of Law
The University of Mississippi School of Law, also known as Ole Miss Law, is an ABA-accredited law school located on the campus of the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi. The School of Law opened in 1854 and is the fourth-oldest state-supported law school in the country...
. He served as the District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
for Pascagoula. In 1997 he was awarded "Lawyer of the Year" by the National Law Journal.
In 1989, during his first term as Attorney General, Moore ran in a special election for the U.S. House of Representatives in the fifth congressional district (today the fourth
Mississippi's 4th congressional district
Mississippi's 4th congressional district covers the southeastern region of the state. The people of the Mississippi's 4th are currently represented by Republican Steven Palazzo. During the 111th Congress, MS-4, along with TX-17, was the most Republican district in the nation to be represented by a...
) following the death of Representative Larkin I. Smith
Larkin I. Smith
Larkin I. Smith was an American politician from Mississippi.Smith was born in Poplarville, Mississippi. He served at various positions in the Pearl River County and then Harrison County police forces, eventually becoming Chief of Police of Gulfport Police Dept...
. Despite being the favorite among Democrats, Moore came in third in the initial round of balloting, behind Democratic state Senator Gene Taylor and Republican Tom Anderson. Taylor went on to defeat Anderson in the runoff.
Moore is now head of Mike Moore Law Firm LLC in Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
. He serves as the Chairman of the Board for the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi. Initially created to receive funding from a large tobacco settlement won on behalf of Mississippi victims, the court order providing this funding was later vacated after a suit was filed by then Governor Haley Barbour
Haley Barbour
Haley Reeves Barbour is an American Republican politician currently serving as the 63rd Governor of Mississippi. He gained a national spotlight in August 2005 after Mississippi was hit by Hurricane Katrina. Barbour won re-election as Governor in 2007...
. Moore also sits on the Board of Directors for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, and on the Advisory Board of Prepaid Legal, Inc.
External links
- NNBD.com profile
- Mike Moore, Frontline: Inside the Tobacco Deal
- Board of Directors Biography, Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi
- Big Tobacco's Nemesis Governing Magazine
- Board of Directors List, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
- Concurrent Resolution by the State Senate of Mississippi
- Prepaid Legal, Inc Advisory Council, Prepaid Legal