Loretta Lynch
Loretta Elizabeth Lynch was the United States attorney general under the Obama administration. Lynch was sworn into office by former Vice President Joe Biden on April 27, 2015. She was the 83rd person to serve in the office.[1] former President Barack Obama submitted her nomination on November 8, 2014, and the Senate confirmed Lynch by a vote of 56-43 on April 23, 2015. She was the first black woman to serve as the United States attorney general.[2][3]
She previously served a second stint as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York.[4]
Biography
Lynch, the daughter of a Baptist minister and a librarian, was raised in Greensboro, North Carolina. Her grandfather was a sharecropper who helped blacks being persecuted by Jim Crow laws of the South escape to the northern states. Her father was also involved in the civil rights movement, serving as inspiration for Lynch to enter the field of law.[4]
Lynch earned her bachelor's degree in English and American literature from Harvard College in 1981 and her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1984.[5]
Career
Below is an abbreviated outline of Lynch's academic and professional career:[5][2][6][7]
- 2015–2017: United States Attorney General
- 2010–2015: U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York
- 2013: Chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee
- 2010: Appointed to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee
- 2002–2010: Partner at Hogan & Hartson L.L.P
- 2005: Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
- 1999–2001: U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York
- 1999: Taught at St. John’s University School of Law
- 1990–1999: Held various positions in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- 1998–1999: Chief assistant U.S. Attorney
- 1994–1998: Chief of the Long Island Office
- 1992–1993: Chief of Intake & Arraignments and Deputy Chief of General Crimes
- 1984–1990: Worked as a corporate lawyer
- 1984: Earned J.D. from Harvard Law School
- 1981: Graduated from Harvard College
Possible 2016 SCOTUS nominee
Prior to President Barack Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland, Lynch was mentioned as a possible nominee to replace former United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who died on February 13, 2016.[8]
Confirmation
Lynch was confirmed as the U.S. attorney general by a vote of 56-43 on April 23, 2015. She was the first black woman to serve as the U.S. attorney general.[9]
| Loretta Lynch confirmation vote, April 23, 2015 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes for |
Votes against |
Total votes |
| 44 | 0 | 44 | |
| 10 | 43 | 53 | |
| 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| Total Votes | 56 | 43 | 99 |
 |
Delay
On March 15, 2015, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said that he would not hold Lynch's confirmation vote until Democrats voted to pass S 178—the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015.[10]
McConnell said, "This will have an impact on the timing of considering the new attorney general. Now, I had hoped to turn to her next week, but if we can’t finish the trafficking bill, she will be put off again."[11]
Democrats opposed the bill because Republicans included a provision in the bill prohibiting the use of taxpayer funds for abortions. According to Politico, "Democrats didn’t read the 68-page bill to discover its provisions dealing with abortion, and Republicans didn’t disclose the abortion language when Democratic staffers asked them for a summary of the legislation."[12]
On April 22, 2015, Democrats and Republicans were able to compromise and pass S 178—the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015, which paved the way for Lynch's confirmation vote.[13]
Attorney general term initiatives
Baltimore Police Department investigation
In her first major act as U.S. attorney general, Lynch announced that the Department of Justice would investigate the Baltimore Police Department for civil rights violations. Lynch said, "This investigation will begin immediately and will focus on allegations that Baltimore Police Department officers used excessive force, including deadly force, conduct unlawful searches, seizures and arrests, and engage in discriminatory policing. ... Despite the progress being made, it was clear that recent events, including the tragic in-custody death of Mr. Freddie Gray, have given rise to a serious erosion of public trust. ... Rather than examining whether the police department violated good policies, we will now examine whether they violated the Constitution and the community’s civil rights."[14]
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Lynch is married, and she has two stepchildren.[5]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term Loretta + Lynch + United + States + Attorney + General
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Justice.gov, "Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch Delivers Remarks at Swearing-In by Vice President Joe Biden," accessed April 27, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Fox News, "Obama chooses U.S. prosecutor Lynch to be next attorney general, ahead of expected confirmation showdown," November 9, 2014
- ↑ The Hill, "Senate votes 56-43 to confirm Lynch as attorney general," accessed April 23, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 New York Times, "Loretta Lynch, a Nominee for Attorney General, Is Praised for Substance, Not Flash," November 8, 2014
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 The Network Journal, "Attorneys At The Top Succeeding In Spite Of Top Dismal Diversity Trends," accessed November 10, 2014
- ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "A Low-Profile Prosecutor," accessed February 13, 2015
- ↑ Justice.gov, "Loretta E. Lynch," accessed February 13, 2015
- ↑ San Antonio-Express News, "Senior U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia found dead at West Texas ranch," accessed February 13, 2016
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Nomination (Confirmation Loretta E. Lynch, of New York, to be Attorney General)," accessed April 27, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.178 - the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015," accessed March 16, 2015
- ↑ The Hill, "McConnell will delay Lynch unless Dems cooperate on trafficking bill," accessed March 16, 2015
- ↑ Politico, "How abortion politics scuttled a human-trafficking bill," accessed March 16, 2015
- ↑ The Hill, "Senate reaches deal to vote on AG nominee Loretta Lynch," accessed April 23, 2015
- ↑ The Hill, "Lynch opens probe of Baltimore police," accessed May 8, 2015
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Eric Holder |
U.S. Attorney General 2015-2017 |
Succeeded by - |
