Patricia Wald
Encyclopedia
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 her law degree from Yale Law School
in 1951. Following her graduation, she clerked for judge Jerry Frank for a year; during that year, Frank ruled on the appeal of the espionage conviction of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. She briefly entered private practice, only to leave for a number of years to help raise her five children.
Wald returned to the legal profession full-time in 1968, working in the field of public interest law for a decade. A Democrat, she served as Assistant Attorney General
for legislative affairs during much of the Carter
administration before being appointed by Carter to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
on April 30, 1979. She was confirmed by the United States Senate
on July 24, 1979, and received her commission on July 26, 1979. She remained on the court until 1999 and served as its chief judge from 1986 to 1991.
Retiring from the U.S. courts, Wald was the United States
's representative to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
. She currently chairs the board of directors of the Open Society Justice Initiative and is a member of the board of directors for Mental Disability Rights International
. Wald is a member of the global council of the California International Law Center
at the University of California, Davis School of Law.
On 6 February 2004, Wald was appointed to the Iraq Intelligence Commission
, an independent panel tasked with investigating U.S. intelligence surrounding the United States
' 2003 invasion of Iraq
and Iraq's weapons of mass destruction
.
Wald agreed to serve on The Constitution Project's Guantanamo Task Force in December 2010.
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United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
judge. Wald served as the chief judge for the United States Court of Appeals
United States court of appeals
The United States courts of appeals are the intermediate appellate courts of the United States federal court system...
for the District of Columbia Circuit and served as a judge on the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
The International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, more commonly referred to as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia or ICTY, is a...
.
Wald graduated from Connecticut College
Connecticut College
Connecticut College is a private liberal arts college located in New London, Connecticut.The college was founded in 1911, as Connecticut College for Women, in response to Wesleyan University closing its doors to women...
in 1948 and earned her law degree from Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
in 1951. Following her graduation, she clerked for judge Jerry Frank for a year; during that year, Frank ruled on the appeal of the espionage conviction of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. She briefly entered private practice, only to leave for a number of years to help raise her five children.
Wald returned to the legal profession full-time in 1968, working in the field of public interest law for a decade. A Democrat, she served as Assistant Attorney General
United States Assistant Attorney General
Many of the divisions and offices of the United States Department of Justice are headed by an Assistant Attorney General.The President of the United States appoints individuals to the position of Assistant Attorney General with the advice and consent of the Senate...
for legislative affairs during much of the Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
administration before being appointed by Carter to 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...
on April 30, 1979. She was confirmed by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on July 24, 1979, and received her commission on July 26, 1979. She remained on the court until 1999 and served as its chief judge from 1986 to 1991.
Retiring from the U.S. courts, Wald was the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
's representative to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
The International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, more commonly referred to as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia or ICTY, is a...
. She currently chairs the board of directors of the Open Society Justice Initiative and is a member of the board of directors for Mental Disability Rights International
Mental Disability Rights International
Disability Rights International , is a Washington, DC based human rights advocacy organization that documents conditions, publishes reports, and promotes international oversight of the rights of mentally disabled people...
. Wald is a member of the global council of the California International Law Center
California International Law Center
-Overview:The California International Law Center is a research center at the University of California, Davis School of Law that focuses on international, comparative, and transnational law...
at the University of California, Davis School of Law.
On 6 February 2004, Wald was appointed to the Iraq Intelligence Commission
Iraq Intelligence Commission
The Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction is a panel created by Executive Order 13328 signed by U.S. President George W. Bush in February 2004...
, an independent panel tasked with investigating U.S. intelligence surrounding the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
' 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
and Iraq's weapons of mass destruction
Weapons of mass destruction
A weapon of mass destruction is a weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans and/or cause great damage to man-made structures , natural structures , or the biosphere in general...
.
Wald agreed to serve on The Constitution Project's Guantanamo Task Force in December 2010.
See also
- Bill Clinton Supreme Court candidatesBill Clinton Supreme Court candidatesPresident Bill Clinton made two appointments to the Supreme Court of the United States, both during his first term.On March 19, 1993, Associate Justice Byron White announced his retirement , effective at the end of the Supreme Court's 1992-1993 term...
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