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Merrick Brian Garland (born November 13, 1952) is an American federal judge and politician. Garland is the 86th and current United States Attorney General during the Joe Biden administration since 2021. He was the chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 2013 to 2020. He was on that court from 1997 until 2021 after being nominated by President Bill Clinton.
Merrick Garland | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 86th United States Attorney General | |
| Assumed office March 11, 2021 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Deputy | Lisa Monaco |
| Preceded by | William Barr |
| Succeeded by | Pam Bondi (nominee) |
| Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit | |
| In office February 12, 2013 – February 11, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | David B. Sentelle |
| Succeeded by | Sri Srinivasan |
| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit | |
| In office March 20, 1997 – March 11, 2021 | |
| Appointed by | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Abner J. Mikva |
| Succeeded by | Ketanji Brown Jackson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Merrick Brian Garland November 13, 1952 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Spouse(s) |
Lynn Rosenman (m. 1987) |
| Children | 2 daughters |
| Education | Harvard University (BA, JD) |
In 2016, Garland was nominated by President Barack Obama to the Supreme Court to replace Antonin Scalia following his death. However, in a Republican-controlled senate, a confirmation hearing was never held and his nomination expired on January 3, 2017.
In January 2021, President-elect Joe Biden nominated Garland to be the United States Attorney General in his cabinet.[1] He was confirmed by the United States Senate and sworn-in in March 2021.
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Garland was born in Chicago, Illinois.[2] He graduated from Harvard College and from Harvard Law School.
Garland practiced corporate litigation at Arnold & Porter and worked as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Department of Justice, where he played a leading role in the investigation and prosecution of the Oklahoma City bombers.
In 1995, Garland was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and (following a delay in Senate confirmation) took the bench in 1997. In 2009 and 2010, Garland was considered by President Barack Obama for two openings on the Supreme Court.
Supreme Court nomination
On March 16, 2016, Obama nominated Garland to serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, to fill the vacancy created by the death of Antonin Scalia.[3][4]
Garland has more federal judicial experience than any Supreme Court nominee in history.[5] He is the oldest Supreme Court nominee since Lewis F. Powell, Jr. in 1971.[6]
After Republicans refused to give Garland a confirmation hearing, Garland's nomination expired in January 2017 shortly before the inauguration of Donald Trump. Trump said he will announce his Justice nominee for the Supreme Court on January 31, 2017.
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On January 6, 2021, then President-elect Joe Biden said that we would nominate Garland to be the United States Attorney General during his administration.[7]
On March 1, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 15-7 to advance Garland's nomination to a full Senate vote.[8] On March 10, the Senate confirmed Garland by a vote of 70-30 to become the next Attorney General.[9]
On June 12, 2024, Merrick Garland was found guilty of contempt by the United States House of Representatives by a vote of 216 to 207.[10]
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Garland married Lynn in 1977. He lives in Bethesda, Maryland.
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