Clare E. Connors

Clare Elizabeth Connors (born May 1974) is an American lawyer who has served as the United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii since 2022. She served as the 16th attorney general of Hawaii from January 3, 2019, to December 10, 2021. She was also a former nominee for United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii.

Clare Connors
United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2022
President	Joe Biden
Preceded by	Kenji M. Price
16th Attorney General of Hawaii
In office January 3, 2019 – December 10, 2021 Acting: January 3 – April 22, 2019
Governor	David Ige
Preceded by	Russell Suzuki
Succeeded by	Holly Shikada
Personal details
Born	Clare Elizabeth Connors May 1974 (age 50) New York, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	Yale University (BA) Harvard University (JD)

Early life and education

Connors was born in New York^[1] and raised in Hawaii and graduated from Punahou School.^[2] She subsequently received a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, in 1996 from Yale College and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 2002.

Career

After graduating from Yale, Conners worked for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.^[3] She began her legal career as a law clerk for Judge David Alan Ezra of the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii, from 2002 to 2003. From 2003 to 2004, she served as a trial attorney in the Tax Division of the United States Department of Justice and also served on detail as a special assistant United States attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia. From 2004 to 2011, she served as an assistant United States attorney in the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Hawaii. From 2011 to 2019, she was an attorney at the law firm of Davis Levin Livingston in Honolulu, Hawaii, where her practice focused on civil litigation.^[4]

Expired nomination to federal district court

On September 8, 2015, President Obama nominated Connors to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii, to the seat vacated by Judge Susan Oki Mollway, who assumed senior status on November 6, 2015.^[5] She received a hearing on her nomination on January 27, 2016.^[6] On April 14, 2016 her nomination was reported out of committee by voice vote.^[7] Her nomination expired on January 3, 2017, with the end of the 114th Congress.

Appointment as attorney general of Hawaii

Connors was appointed attorney general of Hawaii by Governor David Ige on January 3, 2019.^[8] On April 22, 2019, Connors was confirmed by the Hawaii State Senate.^[9]

U.S. attorney for the District of Hawaii

On September 28, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Connors to be the United States attorney for the District of Hawaii.^[10][11] On November 4, 2021, her nomination was reported out of committee by voice vote, senators Lee, Hawley and Blackburn voted "no".^[12] On December 7, 2021, Connors was confirmed in the Senate by voice vote.^[13] She was sworn into office on January 3, 2022.^[14]

References

1. "Questionnaire for Non-Judicial Nominees" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
2. "Clare Connors". University of Hawaii at Manoa William S. Richardson School of Law. Archived from the original on October 29, 2018. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
3. "Clare E. Connors". National Association of Attorneys General. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
4. "President Obama Nominates Three to Serve on the United States District Courts" White House, September 8, 2015
5. "Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate" White House, September 8, 2015
6. United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Nominations for January 27, 2016
7. United States Senate Judiciary Committee, Results of Executive Business Meeting – April 14, 2016
8. Lovell, Blaze (January 3, 2019). "Ige Selects Trial Lawyer To Be Hawaii's New Attorney General". Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
9. "Hawaii Senate confirms Clare Connors as attorney general". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. April 23, 2019. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
10. "President Biden Announces Nine New Nominees to Serve as U.S. Attorneys" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. September 28, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
11. "Nominations Sent to the Senate" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. September 28, 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
12. "Results of Executive Business Meeting – November 4, 2021" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
13. "PN1192 - Nomination of Clare E. Connors for Department of Justice, 117th Congress (2021-2022)". www.congress.gov. December 7, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
14. "CLARE E. CONNORS SWORN IN AS UNITED STATES ATTORNEY" (Press release). Honolulu, Hawaii: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii. January 3, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2022.

Legal offices
Preceded by Russell Suzuki	Attorney General of Hawaii 2019–2021	Succeeded by Holly Shikada
Preceded by Judith Philips Acting	United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii 2022–present	Incumbent