Kent Markus
Encyclopedia
Kent Richard Markus is an American lawyer, a law professor at Capital University Law School
, a former official in the U.S. Department of Justice and a former federal judicial nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
, Markus earned a bachelor's degree from Northwestern University
in 1981 and a law degree cum laude from Harvard Law School
in 1984. His father, Richard M. Markus is a prominent retired judge who served on the Ohio Court of Appeals. Judge Markus is also a past President of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the Ohio State Bar Association and the Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers.
from 1984 until 1986. He then worked at an Ohio law firm from 1986 until 1989, while also serving as an adjunct law professor at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law
from 1986 until 1988. He later worked in Ohio's attorney general's office as chief of staff to then-Ohio Attorney General Lee Fisher
before joining the U.S. Department of Justice in 1994, during the Clinton administration. Markus worked as Counsel to the Office of the Deputy Attorney General in 1994, Acting Assistant Attorney General and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legislative Affairs from 1995 to 1996, and as Counselor to Attorney General Janet Reno
and Deputy Chief of Staff for the Office of the Attorney General from 1996 to 1998. He joined Capital University
as a visiting law professor in 1998, and now is an associate professor at the school.
, who previously had assumed senior status. With the U.S. Senate controlled by Republicans during Clinton's second term, Markus' nomination languished. Despite Markus waging an unusually high-profile lobbying effort to win confirmation to the Sixth Circuit seat and despite the fact that he had the support of both of his home-state senators, no hearing was ever scheduled on his nomination by the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, and no confirmation vote ever was taken by the full Senate. When George W. Bush became president in 2001, he subsequently withdrew 62 executive and judicial nominations, including that of Markus.
In 2001, Bush nominated Jeffrey Sutton
to the seat to which Markus had been nominated. Sutton won confirmation on April 29, 2003.
announced that Markus would be taking a leave of absence from Capital University to serve as Strickland's chief legal counsel. Markus' name also came up as a possible interim replacement for former Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann
, who resigned from office on May 14, 2008.
In January 2009, Markus said he was throwing his hat in the ring to be nominated by President Barack Obama
to become a U.S. district judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
. However, in July 2009, Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown
announced that he would be recommending U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy Black for the seat.
Capital University Law School
Capital University Law School is an ABA-accredited private law school located in downtown Columbus, Ohio. The law school is affiliated with Capital University, the oldest and largest independent college in Central Ohio...
, a former official in the U.S. Department of Justice and a former federal judicial nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Early life and education
Born in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Markus earned a bachelor's degree from Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
in 1981 and a law degree cum laude from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
in 1984. His father, Richard M. Markus is a prominent retired judge who served on the Ohio Court of Appeals. Judge Markus is also a past President of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the Ohio State Bar Association and the Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers.
Professional career
After graduating from law school, Markus clerked for U.S. District Judge Alvin I. KrenzlerAlvin I. Krenzler
Alvin Irving "Buddy" Krenzler was a former United States federal judge.Krenzler was born in Chicago, Illinois. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Case Western Reserve University in 1946 and his LL.B. from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 1948.Krenzler served in the United...
from 1984 until 1986. He then worked at an Ohio law firm from 1986 until 1989, while also serving as an adjunct law professor at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law
Cleveland-Marshall College of Law
The Cleveland–Marshall College of Law is the law school of Cleveland State University, located in Cleveland, Ohio. The school traces its origins to the founding of Cleveland Law School in 1897 which, in 1946, merged with the John Marshall School of Law, founded in 1916, to become Cleveland–Marshall...
from 1986 until 1988. He later worked in Ohio's attorney general's office as chief of staff to then-Ohio Attorney General Lee Fisher
Lee Fisher
Lee Fisher was the 64th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio, who served with Governor Ted Strickland from 2007 until 2011.He is a member of the Democratic Party.In addition to serving as Lt...
before joining the U.S. Department of Justice in 1994, during the Clinton administration. Markus worked as Counsel to the Office of the Deputy Attorney General in 1994, Acting Assistant Attorney General and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legislative Affairs from 1995 to 1996, and as Counselor to Attorney General Janet Reno
Janet Reno
Janet Wood Reno is a former Attorney General of the United States . She was nominated by President Bill Clinton on February 11, 1993, and confirmed on March 11...
and Deputy Chief of Staff for the Office of the Attorney General from 1996 to 1998. He joined Capital University
Capital University
Capital University is a private liberal arts university of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Bexley, Ohio, founded in 1830. In addition to its rigorous liberal arts program, the university also offers a reputable adult degree program in Columbus, Ohio. It is one of the oldest...
as a visiting law professor in 1998, and now is an associate professor at the school.
Nomination to the Sixth Circuit
On February 9, 2000, President Clinton nominated Markus to the Sixth Circuit to take the place of David Aldrich NelsonDavid Aldrich Nelson
David Aldrich Nelson was a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Nelson was born at Watertown, New York, the son of Carlton Low Nelson and Irene Demetria Aldrich Nelson. He was educated in the public schools of East Aurora, New York, and at Hamilton College, from which...
, who previously had assumed senior status. With the U.S. Senate controlled by Republicans during Clinton's second term, Markus' nomination languished. Despite Markus waging an unusually high-profile lobbying effort to win confirmation to the Sixth Circuit seat and despite the fact that he had the support of both of his home-state senators, no hearing was ever scheduled on his nomination by the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, and no confirmation vote ever was taken by the full Senate. When George W. Bush became president in 2001, he subsequently withdrew 62 executive and judicial nominations, including that of Markus.
In 2001, Bush nominated Jeffrey Sutton
Jeffrey Sutton
Jeffrey S. Sutton is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.- Early life :Sutton received his B.A. from Williams College in 1983...
to the seat to which Markus had been nominated. Sutton won confirmation on April 29, 2003.
Career since the failed nomination
On January 8, 2007, Ohio Gov. Ted StricklandTed Strickland
Theodore "Ted" Strickland was the 68th Governor of Ohio, serving from 2007 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the United States House of Representatives, representing ....
announced that Markus would be taking a leave of absence from Capital University to serve as Strickland's chief legal counsel. Markus' name also came up as a possible interim replacement for former Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann
Marc Dann
Marc Dann Marc Dann Marc Dann (born March 12, 1962, in Evanston, Illinois, is an American politician of the Democratic Party. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in 1984 from the University of Michigan and a law degree in 1987 from Case Western Reserve University, and practiced law in Youngstown,...
, who resigned from office on May 14, 2008.
In January 2009, Markus said he was throwing his hat in the ring to be nominated by President Barack Obama
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 become a U.S. district judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio is one of two United States district courts in Ohio and includes forty-eight of the state's eighty-eight counties. Appeals from the court are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit at Cincinnati The...
. However, in July 2009, Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown
Sherrod Brown
Sherrod Campbell Brown is the senior United States Senator from Ohio and a member of the Democratic Party. Before his election to the U.S. Senate, he was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Ohio's 13th congressional district from 1993 to 2007...
announced that he would be recommending U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy Black for the seat.