Mary Cheh
Encyclopedia
Mary M. Cheh is a Democratic
politician from Washington, D.C.
In November 2006, she won a seat on the Washington, D.C. City Council
representing Ward 3.
at George Washington University Law School and is an avid bicyclist. She is a long-time resident of Ward 3. She and her husband, New York Times reporter Neil A. Lewis, moved to Washington in the late 1970s. In 1986 they moved from Cleveland Park
to their current home in Forest Hills
. Mary and Neil’s daughters were born and raised in Washington and both attended Murch Elementary School
and Georgetown Day School
.
and serving as a law clerk
to the chief justice
of the New Jersey Supreme Court
. While on sabbatical leave in 1986, she served as a special assistant U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C. In an earlier leave in 1983, she did pro bono
work for the Centre for Applied Legal Studies in South Africa
. She has also served as a consultant to the National Institute of Justice
and the President’s Commission on Organized Crime. She has been a frequent speaker and media commentator on legal affairs.
She has a B.A. and a J.D. from Rutgers University
and an LL.M. from Harvard University
.
opponent with more than 70% of the vote. Cheh replaced Kathleen Patterson
, who unsuccessfully sought to run for Council of the District of Columbia Chair position. She was reelected in 2010 over Republican Candidate Dave Hedgepeth. Despite failing to get an endorsement from The Washington Post
, a key endorsement in a DC local election, Cheh was reelected by a substantial margin.
Among Cheh's legislation passed through the Council is the DC Plastic Bag Tax, which requires DC stores to charge $.05 for every plastic bag that a customer uses. The tax received criticism from many DC residents when it was enacted.
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...
politician from Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
In November 2006, she won a seat on the Washington, D.C. City Council
Council of the District of Columbia
The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative branch of the local government of the District of Columbia. As permitted in the United States Constitution, the District is not part of any U.S. state and is instead overseen directly by the federal government...
representing Ward 3.
Background and family
Mary Cheh is a tenured professor of constitutional lawConstitutional law
Constitutional law is the body of law which defines the relationship of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary....
at George Washington University Law School and is an avid bicyclist. She is a long-time resident of Ward 3. She and her husband, New York Times reporter Neil A. Lewis, moved to Washington in the late 1970s. In 1986 they moved from Cleveland Park
Cleveland Park
Cleveland Park is a residential neighborhood in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C.It is located at and bounded approximately by Rock Creek Park to the east, Wisconsin and Idaho Avenues to the west, Klingle and Woodley Roads to the south, and Rodman and Tilden Streets to the north...
to their current home in Forest Hills
Forest Hills, Washington, D.C.
Forest Hills is a quiet residential neighborhood in the northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C., United States, bounded by Connecticut Avenue NW to the west, Rock Creek Park to the east, Chevy Chase to the north, and Tilden Street NW to the south...
. Mary and Neil’s daughters were born and raised in Washington and both attended Murch Elementary School
District of Columbia Public Schools
District of Columbia Public Schools is the traditional public school system of Washington, D.C. in the United States.- Composition and enrollment :...
and Georgetown Day School
Georgetown Day School
Georgetown Day School is a pre-K-12 private preparatory school in Washington, D.C..-History:GDS was founded in 1945 as the first integrated school in the District of Columbia.-Academics:...
.
Professional experience
Professor Cheh joined the George Washington University Law School faculty in 1979 after being in private practice in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and serving as a law clerk
Law clerk
A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person who provides assistance to a judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions. Law clerks are not court clerks or courtroom deputies, who are administrative staff for the court. Most law clerks are recent law school graduates who...
to the chief justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the New Jersey Supreme Court
New Jersey Supreme Court
The New Jersey Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It has existed in three different forms under the three different state constitutions since the independence of the state in 1776...
. While on sabbatical leave in 1986, she served as a special assistant U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C. In an earlier leave in 1983, she did pro bono
Pro bono
Pro bono publico is a Latin phrase generally used to describe professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment or at a reduced fee as a public service. It is common in the legal profession and is increasingly seen in marketing, technology, and strategy consulting firms...
work for the Centre for Applied Legal Studies in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. She has also served as a consultant to the National Institute of Justice
National Institute of Justice
The National Institute of Justice is the research, development and evaluation agency of the United States Department of Justice. NIJ, along with the Bureau of Justice Statistics , Bureau of Justice Assistance , Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention , Office for Victims of Crime ,...
and the President’s Commission on Organized Crime. She has been a frequent speaker and media commentator on legal affairs.
She has a B.A. and a J.D. from Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
and an LL.M. from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
.
City Council
Cheh was first elected to the Washington, DC City Council in 2006, beating her RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
opponent with more than 70% of the vote. Cheh replaced Kathleen Patterson
Kathleen Patterson
Kathleen "Kathy" Patterson is a politician from Washington, D.C. From 1995 to 2007, she was a Democratic member of the Council of the District of Columbia, where she served as the elected member for Ward 3, a post now held by Mary Cheh....
, who unsuccessfully sought to run for Council of the District of Columbia Chair position. She was reelected in 2010 over Republican Candidate Dave Hedgepeth. Despite failing to get an endorsement from The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, a key endorsement in a DC local election, Cheh was reelected by a substantial margin.
Among Cheh's legislation passed through the Council is the DC Plastic Bag Tax, which requires DC stores to charge $.05 for every plastic bag that a customer uses. The tax received criticism from many DC residents when it was enacted.
Committees
Cheh currently sits on five committees:- Committee on Government Operations and the Environment (Chair)
- Committee on Aging and Community Affairs
- Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary
- Committee on Public Services and Consumer Affairs
- Committee on Health
Further reading
- Faculty Experts Quoted at website for George Washington University Law School
- Profile of Mary Cheh at website for George Washington University Law School
- Cheh, Mary M. Criminal Procedure 2nd ed. St. Paul, MN : Thomson WestThomson WestWest publishes legal, business, and regulatory information in print, and on electronic services such as Westlaw. Since the late 19th century, West has been one of the most prominent publishers of legal materials in the United States...
, c2005. ix, 285 p. 28 cm. ISBN 0-314-16736-6 (alk. paper)