Peter C. Harvey was the first African American

African American

African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...

 to serve as New Jersey Attorney General

New Jersey Attorney General

The Attorney General of New Jersey is a member of the executive cabinet of the state. The office is appointed by the Governor of New Jersey and term limited...

. Harvey was appointed by New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey

Jim McGreevey

James Edward "Jim" McGreevey is an American Democratic politician. He served as the 52nd Governor of New Jersey from January 15, 2002, until he resigned from office at 11:59 pm on November 15, 2004. His term was set to expire on January 17, 2006...

 as Acting Attorney General on February 15, 2003, and was confirmed by the New Jersey Senate

New Jersey Senate

The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. From 1844 until 1965 New Jersey's counties elected one Senator, each. Under the 1844 Constitution the term of office was three years. The 1947...

 as Attorney General on June 16, 2003. Harvey served until 2006, when he was succeeded by Zulima Farber

Zulima Farber

Zulima Farber is the former Attorney General of New Jersey and the first Latina to serve as Acting Governor of New Jersey. She was appointed to the position in 2006 by Governor Jon Corzine...

.

Biography

On January 17, 2002, then-Attorney General David Samson

David Samson (New Jersey)

David Samson is an American politician who served as New Jersey Attorney General from 2002 to 2003.-Biography:Samson received a B.A. from Rutgers University in 1961 and was awarded a J.D...

 appointed Harvey to serve as first assistant attorney general and director of the Division of Criminal Justice, where he served prior to his appointment as Attorney General.

Harvey 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...

 degree in 1982 from Columbia Law School

Columbia Law School

Columbia Law School, founded in 1858, is one of the oldest and most prestigious law schools in the United States. A member of the Ivy League, Columbia Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Columbia University in New York City. It offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in...

. He received a B.A.

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...

 in political science

Political science

Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...

 from Morgan State University

Morgan State University

Morgan State University, formerly Centenary Biblical Institute , Morgan College and Morgan State College , is a historically black college in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Morgan is Maryland's designated public urban university and the largest HBCU in the state of Maryland...

 in 1979.

External links

• Peter C. Harvey, New Jersey Attorney General
  New Jersey Attorney General
  The Attorney General of New Jersey is a member of the executive cabinet of the state. The office is appointed by the Governor of New Jersey and term limited...
  
  capsule bio
• Columbia Law School: Peter C. Harvey '82
• Attorney General Harvey to speak on New Jersey’s judicial response to sexual assault