Steven G. Bradbury
Encyclopedia
Steven G. Bradbury is an attorney at the Washington, D.C office of Dechert LLP.
Bradbury was head of the Office of Legal Counsel
(OLC) in the United States Department of Justice
during the George W. Bush administration
. Appointed the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for OLC in April 2004, he became the Acting Assistant Attorney General in 2005. He was nominated by President George W. Bush
to be the Assistant Attorney General for OLC in June 2005. His nomination was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee in November 2005 but was never voted on by the full Senate. Individual Democratic Senators put holds on Bradbury's nomination preventing the full Senate from voting on it, and Democratic leaders in the Senate instituted pro forma
sessions of the Senate during scheduled recesses to prevent the President from giving him a recess appointment
. Bradbury continued to serve as the senior appointed official in charge of OLC until the end of the Bush Administration on January 20, 2009.
Bradbury authored numerous significant legal opinions for OLC, many of which are published on OLC’s Web site.
Among these opinions was one issued in August 2004 in which Bradbury concluded that the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution secures an individual right to keep and bear arms.
The reasoning of this opinion was later adopted by the Supreme Court of the United States in District of Columbia v. Heller
.
, including three memoranda in May 2005, publicly released by the Obama Administration on April 16, 2009, that found the CIA's practices to be lawful if applied in accordance with specified conditions, limitations, and safeguards, including those set forth in the agency’s interrogation procedures.
Near the end of the Bush Administration, Bradbury signed two memoranda for the files explaining that during his tenure OLC had determined that certain legal propositions previously stated in ten OLC opinions issued between 2001 and 2003 concerning executive power in the War on Terror no longer reflected the views of OLC and "should not be treated as authoritative for any purpose" and further explaining that some of the underlying opinions had been withdrawn or superseded and that "caution should be exercised" by the Executive Branch "before relying in other respects" on the other opinions that had not been superseded or withdrawn.
, the youngest of four children. His father died when he was 11 months old, and his mother raised him by working nights and ironing clothes for 75 cents an hour to supplement their Social Security
income. He attended Washington High School
in Portland from 1972 to 1976 where he was student body president his senior year. Bradbury was the first in his family to graduate from college. He graduated from Stanford University
in 1980 with a major in English. After working in publishing and as a legal assistant in New York in the early 1980s, Bradbury graduated from the University of Michigan Law School
, where he received his J.D.
, magna cum laude, in 1988. He was Article Editor for the Michigan Law Review
and Order of the Coif
.
From 1988 to 1990, Bradbury worked as an associate at Covington & Burling
in Washington, D.C. In 1990-1991, he served as a law clerk to Judge James L. Buckley
on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. After working as an Attorney-Adviser in the Office of Legal Counsel, 1991-1992, he served as a law clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas
on the Supreme Court of the United States
, 1992-1993.
Following his clerkship for Justice Thomas, Bradbury practiced law with Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Washington, D.C., first as an associate from 1993 to 1994 and then as a partner from 1994 to 2004. In 1998, Bradbury was named one of the top 40 lawyers under 40 by Washingtonian magazine. In his law practice at Kirkland & Ellis, he focused on antitrust (both mergers and litigation), securities law (including both class action litigation and regulatory investigations), and various other regulatory, constitutional, and commercial litigation matters, both at the trial and appellate levels. In April 2004, Bradbury left private practice to join OLC as the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General under Assistant Attorney General Jack Goldsmith
.
Following his term in OLC, Bradbury returned to private practice as a partner at Dechert LLP in Washington, D.C., where he specializes in antitrust, securities litigation, general commercial litigation, and appellate matters.
Bradbury was head of the Office of Legal Counsel
Office of Legal Counsel
The Office of Legal Counsel is an office in the United States Department of Justice that assists the Attorney General in his function as legal adviser to the President and all executive branch agencies.-History:...
(OLC) in the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
during the George W. Bush administration
George W. Bush administration
The presidency of George W. Bush began on January 20, 2001, when he was inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States of America. The oldest son of former president George H. W. Bush, George W...
. Appointed the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for OLC in April 2004, he became the Acting Assistant Attorney General in 2005. He was nominated by President 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....
to be the Assistant Attorney General for OLC in June 2005. His nomination was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee in November 2005 but was never voted on by the full Senate. Individual Democratic Senators put holds on Bradbury's nomination preventing the full Senate from voting on it, and Democratic leaders in the Senate instituted pro forma
Pro forma
The term pro forma is a term applied to practices or documents that are done as a pure formality, perfunctory, or seek to satisfy the minimum requirements or to conform to a convention or doctrine...
sessions of the Senate during scheduled recesses to prevent the President from giving him a recess appointment
Recess appointment
A recess appointment is the appointment, by the President of the United States, of a senior federal official while the U.S. Senate is in recess. The U.S. Constitution requires that the most senior federal officers must be confirmed by the Senate before assuming office, but while the Senate is in...
. Bradbury continued to serve as the senior appointed official in charge of OLC until the end of the Bush Administration on January 20, 2009.
Work in the Office of Legal Counsel
Bradbury received a number of awards and honors while at OLC, including the Edmund J. Randolph Award for outstanding service to the Department of Justice, the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service, the National Security Agency’s Intelligence Under Law Award, the Director of National Intelligence’s Intelligence Community Legal Award, and the Criminal Division’s Award for Outstanding Law Enforcement Partnerships.Bradbury authored numerous significant legal opinions for OLC, many of which are published on OLC’s Web site.
Among these opinions was one issued in August 2004 in which Bradbury concluded that the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution secures an individual right to keep and bear arms.
The reasoning of this opinion was later adopted by the Supreme Court of the United States in District of Columbia v. Heller
District of Columbia v. Heller
District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 , was a landmark case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution protects an individual's right to possess a firearm for traditionally lawful purposes in federal enclaves, such as...
.
Memoranda concerning the War on Terror
Bradbury authored several memoranda addressing the legality of interrogation practices – the so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques" – authorized for use by the Central Intelligence AgencyCentral Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
, including three memoranda in May 2005, publicly released by the Obama Administration on April 16, 2009, that found the CIA's practices to be lawful if applied in accordance with specified conditions, limitations, and safeguards, including those set forth in the agency’s interrogation procedures.
Near the end of the Bush Administration, Bradbury signed two memoranda for the files explaining that during his tenure OLC had determined that certain legal propositions previously stated in ten OLC opinions issued between 2001 and 2003 concerning executive power in the War on Terror no longer reflected the views of OLC and "should not be treated as authoritative for any purpose" and further explaining that some of the underlying opinions had been withdrawn or superseded and that "caution should be exercised" by the Executive Branch "before relying in other respects" on the other opinions that had not been superseded or withdrawn.
Background
Bradbury was born in 1958 in Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, the youngest of four children. His father died when he was 11 months old, and his mother raised him by working nights and ironing clothes for 75 cents an hour to supplement their Social Security
Social Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
income. He attended Washington High School
Washington High School (Portland, Oregon)
Washington High School was a high school in Portland, Oregon, United States, described in 1950 as "Portland's finest high school." It was part of the Portland school district. Opened in September 1906, the school was originally named the East Side High School, but changed its name to Washington in...
in Portland from 1972 to 1976 where he was student body president his senior year. Bradbury was the first in his family to graduate from college. He graduated from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in 1980 with a major in English. After working in publishing and as a legal assistant in New York in the early 1980s, Bradbury graduated from the University of Michigan Law School
University of Michigan Law School
The University of Michigan Law School is the law school of the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. Founded in 1859, the school has an enrollment of about 1,200 students, most of whom are seeking Juris Doctor or Master of Laws degrees, although the school also offers a Doctor of Juridical...
, where he received his 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, in 1988. He was Article Editor for the Michigan Law Review
Michigan Law Review
The Michigan Law Review is an American law reviews established in 1902, after Gustavus Ohlinger, a student in the Law Department of the University of Michigan, approached the Dean with a proposal for a law journal. The Michigan Law Review was originally intended as a forum in which the faculty of...
and Order of the Coif
Order of the Coif
The Order of the Coif is an honor society for United States law school graduates. A student at an American law school who earns a Juris Doctor degree and graduates in the top 10 percent of his or her class is eligible for membership if the student's law school has a chapter of the...
.
From 1988 to 1990, Bradbury worked as an associate at Covington & Burling
Covington & Burling
Covington & Burling LLP is an international law firm with offices in Beijing, Brussels, London, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, San Diego, and Washington, DC. The firm advises multinational corporations on significant transactional, litigation, regulatory, and public policy matters...
in Washington, D.C. In 1990-1991, he served as a law clerk to Judge James L. Buckley
James L. Buckley
James Lane Buckley is a retired judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and previously served as a United States Senator from the state of New York as a member of the Conservative Party of New York from January 3, 1971 to January 3, 1977...
on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. After working as an Attorney-Adviser in the Office of Legal Counsel, 1991-1992, he served as a law clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas
Clarence Thomas
Clarence Thomas is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Succeeding Thurgood Marshall, Thomas is the second African American to serve on the Court....
on the Supreme Court of the United States
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...
, 1992-1993.
Following his clerkship for Justice Thomas, Bradbury practiced law with Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Washington, D.C., first as an associate from 1993 to 1994 and then as a partner from 1994 to 2004. In 1998, Bradbury was named one of the top 40 lawyers under 40 by Washingtonian magazine. In his law practice at Kirkland & Ellis, he focused on antitrust (both mergers and litigation), securities law (including both class action litigation and regulatory investigations), and various other regulatory, constitutional, and commercial litigation matters, both at the trial and appellate levels. In April 2004, Bradbury left private practice to join OLC as the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General under Assistant Attorney General Jack Goldsmith
Jack Goldsmith
Jack Landman Goldsmith is a Harvard Law School professor who has written a number of texts regarding international law, cyber law, and national security law...
.
Following his term in OLC, Bradbury returned to private practice as a partner at Dechert LLP in Washington, D.C., where he specializes in antitrust, securities litigation, general commercial litigation, and appellate matters.
External links
- Interview with Legal Times periodical: http://www.law.com/jsp/dc/PubArticleDC.jsp?id=1205232254324&hub=TopStories
- In-depth article at wiki Source Watch
- Photo
- Calling for clarity on vague Geneva Conventions'sGeneva ConventionsThe Geneva Conventions comprise four treaties, and three additional protocols, that establish the standards of international law for the humanitarian treatment of the victims of war...
Common Article 3Third Geneva ConventionThe Third Geneva Convention, relative to the treatment of prisoners of war, is one of the four treaties of the Geneva Conventions. It was first adopted in 1929, but was significantly updated in 1949...
at HouseUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
hearing; seen first on left - Ask the White House, Bradbury as host and expert on Hamdan v. RumsfeldHamdan v. RumsfeldHamdan v. Rumsfeld, 548 U.S. 557 , is a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that military commissions set up by the Bush administration to try detainees at Guantanamo Bay lack "the power to proceed because its structures and procedures violate both the Uniform Code of Military...
, photo - Geneva Conventions cover Gitmo detainees
