Caitlin Halligan
Encyclopedia
Caitlin Joan Halligan is an American lawyer and the Solicitor General of the state of New York from 2001 until 2007. She has been nominated by President Barack Obama
to fill a federal judicial vacancy on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
.
on December 14, 1966.
Halligan earned an A.B.
cum laude in 1988 from Princeton University
and a J.D.
magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center
in 1995. She was the managing editor of the Georgetown Law Journal
(1994–1995).
After law school, Halligan served as a law clerk first for United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
Judge Patricia Wald
and then for United States Supreme Court
Justice
Stephen Breyer
.
After her clerkships, Halligan served as First Deputy Solicitor General in the New York Attorney General's Office. From 1999 to 2000, she was the first Chief of the New York Attorney General's Internet Bureau, where she developed and coordinated statewide law enforcement and policy initiatives regarding online consumer fraud, privacy, online securities trading, and other Internet-related issues. Before joining that office, she had worked in private practice in New York City and Washington, D.C.
Halligan served as New York's Solicitor General from 2001 until 2007.
After leaving the Solicitor General's office in 2007, Halligan joined the law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges
to head up its appellate practice.
In early 2010, Halligan left Weil Gotshal to join the Manhattan district attorney's office as its general counsel.
Halligan has argued four cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.
reported that President Obama has placed Halligan on "the inside track" to be nominated to one of two vacancies on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
. Then, in July 2010, the Blog of Legal Times reported that two unidentified lawyers said agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation
had interviewed them regarding Halligan, which is standard for federal judicial nominees and often is precursor to a nomination. On September 29, 2010, Obama nominated Halligan to replace John G. Roberts.
Halligan's name also was listed in 2009 as a possible nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court
in a report by Nina Totenberg
of National Public Radio.
club.
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
to fill a federal judicial vacancy on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit known informally as the D.C. Circuit, is the federal appellate court for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Appeals from the D.C. Circuit, as with all the U.S. Courts of Appeals, are heard on a...
.
Early life and education
Halligan was born in Xenia, OhioXenia, Ohio
Xenia is a city in and the county seat of Greene County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio 21 miles from Dayton and is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area...
on December 14, 1966.
Halligan earned an A.B.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
cum laude in 1988 from Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
and a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center is the law school of Georgetown University, located in Washington, D.C.. Established in 1870, the Law Center offers J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D. degrees in law...
in 1995. She was the managing editor of the Georgetown Law Journal
Georgetown Law Journal
The Georgetown Law Journal is a student-edited scholarly journal published at Georgetown University Law Center.-Overview:The Journal publishes six issues each year. It also publishes the Annual Review of Criminal Procedure, a comprehensive practitioner's guide to criminal procedure.The first volume...
(1994–1995).
After law school, Halligan served as a law clerk first for United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit known informally as the D.C. Circuit, is the federal appellate court for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Appeals from the D.C. Circuit, as with all the U.S. Courts of Appeals, are heard on a...
Judge Patricia Wald
Patricia Wald
Patricia McGowan Wald is an American judge. Wald served as the chief judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and served as a judge on the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.Wald graduated from Connecticut College in 1948 and earned...
and then for United States Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
Justice
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States are the members of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the Chief Justice of the United States...
Stephen Breyer
Stephen Breyer
Stephen Gerald Breyer is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1994, and known for his pragmatic approach to constitutional law, Breyer is generally associated with the more liberal side of the Court....
.
Professional career
Before law school, Halligan served as a legislative aide for U.S. Rep. William Vollie Alexander, Jr., and as a policy associate at Georgians for Children, a non-profit organization devoted to improving state policies for families and children. Halligan also taught writing, American history, American literature at a university in Wuhan, China, through a teaching exchange program at Princeton.After her clerkships, Halligan served as First Deputy Solicitor General in the New York Attorney General's Office. From 1999 to 2000, she was the first Chief of the New York Attorney General's Internet Bureau, where she developed and coordinated statewide law enforcement and policy initiatives regarding online consumer fraud, privacy, online securities trading, and other Internet-related issues. Before joining that office, she had worked in private practice in New York City and Washington, D.C.
Halligan served as New York's Solicitor General from 2001 until 2007.
After leaving the Solicitor General's office in 2007, Halligan joined the law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges
Weil, Gotshal & Manges
Weil, Gotshal & Manges is a prominent international law firm, one of the largest and most prestigious in the world with 1,200 lawyers and gross annual revenue in excess of $1.1 billion. The firm was founded in New York City in 1931 by Frank Weil, Sylvan Gotshal, and Horace Manges...
to head up its appellate practice.
In early 2010, Halligan left Weil Gotshal to join the Manhattan district attorney's office as its general counsel.
Halligan has argued four cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Nomination to the D.C. Circuit
On May 26, 2010, noted legal blogger Ed WhelanM. Edward Whelan III
Martin Edward Whelan III , known professionally as M. Edward Whelan III but known in the blogosphere as Ed Whelan, is an American lawyer and a prominent conservative legal analyst...
reported that President Obama has placed Halligan on "the inside track" to be nominated to one of two vacancies on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit known informally as the D.C. Circuit, is the federal appellate court for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Appeals from the D.C. Circuit, as with all the U.S. Courts of Appeals, are heard on a...
. Then, in July 2010, the Blog of Legal Times reported that two unidentified lawyers said agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
had interviewed them regarding Halligan, which is standard for federal judicial nominees and often is precursor to a nomination. On September 29, 2010, Obama nominated Halligan to replace John G. Roberts.
Halligan's name also was listed in 2009 as a possible nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
in a report by Nina Totenberg
Nina Totenberg
Nina Totenberg is an American legal affairs correspondent for National Public Radio focusing primarily on the activities and politics of the Supreme Court of the United States. Her reports air regularly on NPR's newsmagazines All Things Considered, Morning Edition, and Weekend Edition...
of National Public Radio.
Personal
Halligan married Marc C. Falcone in January 1999. They live in Manhattan's West Village neighborhood. Hilligan is an avid runner has been a member of the New York Road RunnersNew York Road Runners
New York Road Runners , founded in 1958 with 47 members, has grown into the foremost running organization, with a membership of 40,000. NYRR conducts more than 100 events each year, including races, classes, clinics, and lectures...
club.