William Hughes Mulligan
Encyclopedia
William Hughes Mulligan was a United States
lawyer
, federal
appellate judge
, and law school
dean
.
Muligan attended Fordham University
as an undergraduate, receiving his A.B. in 1939, and Fordham Law School from which he graduated in 1942. After serving in the United States Army
Counter Intelligence Corps
during World War II
, Mulligan became a law professor at Fordham in 1946. Mulligan taught at Fordham for 25 years, including as assistant dean from 1954 to 1956 and dean from 1956 to 1971. In 1961, he was named the Wilkinson Professor of Law.
In 1971, President
Richard M. Nixon named Mulligan as a Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
, headquartered in New York City. Mulligan served as a judge for 10 years. He left the bench in 1981, stating that the salary for federal appellate judges was too low to provide for his family.
From 1981 to 1991, Mulligan was a lawyer
in private practice at the New York law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
. He retired in 1991 after suffering a stroke and died in 1996.
In addition to his legal career, Mulligan was a successful public speaker delivering acclaimed humorous and serious remarks to a variety of organizations from bar association
s to Irish-American civic groups. A collection of Mulligan's after-dinner speeches was edited and posthumously with an introduction by Mulligan's son, William Hughes Mulligan, Jr., under the title Mulligan's Law: The Wit and Wisdom of William Hughes Mulligan (Fordham University Press 1997).
A summer intramural moot court
competition at Fordham Law, for rising second-year students, is named for Mulligan. Students who do well receive invitations to join the Fordham Moot Court Board.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
, federal
United States federal courts
The United States federal courts make up the judiciary branch of federal government of the United States organized under the United States Constitution and laws of the federal government.-Categories:...
appellate judge
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...
, and law school
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
.
Muligan attended Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
as an undergraduate, receiving his A.B. in 1939, and Fordham Law School from which he graduated in 1942. After serving 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...
Counter Intelligence Corps
Counter Intelligence Corps
The Counter Intelligence Corps was a World War II and early Cold War intelligence agency within the United States Army. Its role was taken over by the U.S. Army Intelligence Corps in 1961 and, in 1967, by the U.S. Army Intelligence Agency...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Mulligan became a law professor at Fordham in 1946. Mulligan taught at Fordham for 25 years, including as assistant dean from 1954 to 1956 and dean from 1956 to 1971. In 1961, he was named the Wilkinson Professor of Law.
In 1971, 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....
Richard M. Nixon named Mulligan as a Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals...
, headquartered in New York City. Mulligan served as a judge for 10 years. He left the bench in 1981, stating that the salary for federal appellate judges was too low to provide for his family.
From 1981 to 1991, Mulligan was 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 private practice at the New York law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates , founded in 1948, is a prominent law firm based in New York City. With over 2,000 attorneys, it is one of the largest and highest-grossing law firms in the world. Forbes magazine calls Skadden "Wall Street's most powerful law firm"...
. He retired in 1991 after suffering a stroke and died in 1996.
In addition to his legal career, Mulligan was a successful public speaker delivering acclaimed humorous and serious remarks to a variety of organizations from bar association
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
s to Irish-American civic groups. A collection of Mulligan's after-dinner speeches was edited and posthumously with an introduction by Mulligan's son, William Hughes Mulligan, Jr., under the title Mulligan's Law: The Wit and Wisdom of William Hughes Mulligan (Fordham University Press 1997).
A summer intramural moot court
Moot court
A moot court is an extracurricular activity at many law schools in which participants take part in simulated court proceedings, usually to include drafting briefs and participating in oral argument. The term derives from Anglo Saxon times, when a moot was a gathering of prominent men in a...
competition at Fordham Law, for rising second-year students, is named for Mulligan. Students who do well receive invitations to join the Fordham Moot Court Board.