Margaret E. Curran
Encyclopedia
Margaret E. "Meg" Curran served as United States Attorney
for Rhode Island from 1998 to 2003.
The most notable case during Curran's tenure was the prosecution of the Operation Plunder Dome
, which led to the conviction of Providence
Mayor Vincent "Buddy" Cianci
on conspiracy charges. Curran, who was one of only 12 U.S. Attorneys appointed by President Bill Clinton
to keep their posts after the election of George W. Bush
, stepped down in 2003 because she suffers from multiple sclerosis
.
from the University of Pennsylvania
, a master's degree
in anthropology
from Purdue University
, and a law degree
form the University of Connecticut School of Law
in 1983. Curran was an editor of the Connecticut Law Review
while earning her degree.
. She is a member of the Rhode Island Bar Association
.
over his Democratic
challenger and eventual victor Sheldon Whitehouse
. While Curran had worked for Whitehouse during his tenure as U.S. Attorney, Chafee fought for Curran to keep her job after Bush's election in 2000. Despite the fact that Curran endorsed Chafee, she refused to criticize Whitehouse.
.
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
for Rhode Island from 1998 to 2003.
The most notable case during Curran's tenure was the prosecution of the Operation Plunder Dome
Operation Plunder Dome
Operation Plunder Dome was the codename of an undercover investigation by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation into corruption within the government of the City of Providence, Rhode Island....
, which led to the conviction of Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
Mayor Vincent "Buddy" Cianci
Vincent Cianci
Vincent Albert "Buddy" Cianci, Jr. served as the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, from 1975 to 1984 and again from 1991 to 2002...
on conspiracy charges. Curran, who was one of only 12 U.S. Attorneys appointed by President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
to keep their posts after the election of George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, stepped down in 2003 because she suffers from multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
.
Education
Curran earned a bachelor's degreeBachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
from Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
, and a law degree
Law degree
A Law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license...
form the University of Connecticut School of Law
University of Connecticut School of Law
The University of Connecticut School of Law is the only public law school in Connecticut and one of only four in New England. The school was recently ranked forty-sixth out of the 190 American Bar Association-accredited law schools in the United States and is considered a Tier 1 school by U.S...
in 1983. Curran was an editor of the Connecticut Law Review
Connecticut Law Review
The Connecticut Law Review is a law review produced by University of Connecticut School of Law students. The Review publishes approximately 1,000 pages of critical legal discussion each year and is managed entirely by a student board of editors, who solicit, edit, and publish articles and book...
while earning her degree.
Affiliations
In 1995, Curran became an adjunct professor at the Roger Williams University School of LawRoger Williams University School of Law
Roger Williams University School of Law is the only law school in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It is located approximately 18 miles south east of Providence, Rhode Island, in the town of Bristol. It was the first program established by Roger Williams University in 1993...
. She is a member of the Rhode Island Bar Association
Rhode Island Bar Association
The Rhode Island Bar Association is the integrated bar association of the U.S. state of Rhode Island.-Organization:...
.
2006
During the 2006 Rhode Island U.S. Senate race, Curran endorsed incumbent Senator Lincoln ChafeeLincoln Chafee
Lincoln Davenport Chafee is an American politician who has been the 74th Governor of Rhode Island since January 2011. Prior to his election as governor, Chafee served in the United States Senate as a Republican from 1999 until losing his Senate re-election bid in 2006 to Democrat Sheldon...
over his Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
challenger and eventual victor Sheldon Whitehouse
Sheldon Whitehouse
Sheldon Whitehouse is the junior U.S. Senator from Rhode Island, serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
. While Curran had worked for Whitehouse during his tenure as U.S. Attorney, Chafee fought for Curran to keep her job after Bush's election in 2000. Despite the fact that Curran endorsed Chafee, she refused to criticize Whitehouse.
2010
Curran endorsed Chafee in the 2010 Rhode Island gubernatorial electionRhode Island gubernatorial election, 2010
The Rhode Island gubernatorial election of 2010 was held on November 2, 2010. It was preceded by the primary election on September 14, 2010. Incumbent Republican Governor Donald Carcieri was term-limited in 2010...
.