Eric Holder

Infobox Person
name = Eric Holder


image_size = 125px
caption =
birth_date = January 21, 1951
birth_place = The Bronx, New York, U.S.
residence = Washington, D.C.
known_for = Former Deputy Attorney General (1997-2001)
education = Columbia University
Columbia Law School
employer = Covington & Burling
occupation = Attorney
title =
spouse = Sharon Holder
children = Maya

Eric H. Holder, Jr. (born 1951) is a former Deputy Attorney General of the United States and a senior legal advisor to Senator Barack Obama and his campaign for the presidency. He serves on Obama's vice presidential selection committee.

Holder was born in 1951 in The Bronx, New York, to parents who had emigrated from Barbados. He grew up in Queens and was educated at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan and attended Columbia University, where he earned a B.A. in 1973 and a J.D. in 1976.cite web |url=http://www.law.com/jsp/tal/PubArticleTAL.jsp?id=1202421743636 |title=Making History |accessdate=2008-06-29 |last=Longstreth |first=Andrew |year=2008 |month=June |work=The American Lawyer ]

After graduating from Columbia Law School Holder worked in the U.S. Justice Department as a trial attorney in the Public Integrity section from 1976 to 1988. He was then appointed by President Ronald Reagan to serve as an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.cite web |url=http://news.muckety.com/2008/06/05/obama-picks-caroline-kennedy-eric-holder-to-join-johnson-in-vp-search/3221 |title=Obama picks Caroline Kennedy, Holder, Johnson to lead VP search |accessdate=2008-06-29 |last=Memmott |first=A. James |date=2008-06-05 |work=Muckety ]

In 1993 Holder was appointed U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia by President Bill Clinton. Clinton also nominated him to serve as Deputy Attorney General in 1997. Holder was the first African American to serve in each of those positions. [cite web |url=http://www.law.com/jsp/tal/PubArticleTAL.jsp?id=1202421744990 |title=Eric Holder: Duty Calls |accessdate=2008-06-29 |last=Longstreth |first=Andrew |year=2008 |month=June |work=The American Lawyer ]

As Deputy Attorney General, Holder was, along with Jack Quinn, at the center of the controversial pardon of fugitive Marc Rich. Holder gave a "neutral, leaning towards favorable" opinion of the pardon to Clinton, which led to the pardoning of Rich on Clinton's last day in office. [cite web |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/11/AR2008061101245.html |title=A Rush to Judgment |accessdate=2008-06-29 |last=Slevin |first=Peter |date=2001-03-01 |work=The Washington Post ]

Holder served as Acting Attorney General under President George W. Bush for several weeks until the Senate confirmed Bush's nominee, John Ashcroft. [cite web |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/01/29/politics/main267937.shtml?source=search_story |title=Ashcroft Settles In |accessdate=2008-06-29 |date=2001-02-02 |publisher=CBS News ]

Since 2001, Holder has worked as an attorney at Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C. In late 2007, he joined Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign as a senior legal advisor. As of June 2008, he serves on Obama's vice presidential selection committee.

Holder is considered to be a leading candidate for Attorney General under an Obama Administration. [cite web |url=http://www.abajournal.com/news/will_eric_holder_become_the_next_attorney_general/ |title=Will Eric Holder Become the Next Attorney General? |accessdate=2008-06-29 |last=Weiss |first=Debra Cassens |date=2008-06-05 |work=ABA Journal ]

Holder is married to Sharon Malone; the couple has three children. [cite web |url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hZ8FA0oiQsjk1l18FaPZm2e3__vAD913GFJG0 |title=Bio information on Eric Holder |accessdate=2008-06-29 |date=2008-06-04 |publisher=Associated Press ]

References

Further reading

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External links

* [http://www.answers.com/topic/eric-h-holder-jr Answers.com]
* [http://www.columbia.edu/cu/secretary/bios/holder/index.html Columbia University]
* [http://www.cov.com/eholder/ Covington & Burling]
* [http://www.thehistorymakers.com/biography/biography.asp?bioindex=954&category=Lawmakers&occupation=Attorney&name=Eric%20Holder The History Makers]
* [http://www.gwumc.edu/hspi/steering/e_holder_bio.htm Homeland Security Policy Institute]