Biography

Merrick Garland: The 86th Attorney General of the United States

Biography

Merrick Garland was born in Chicago, Illinois on November 13, 1954. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1977 and began his legal career as a clerk for Judge Henry Friendly of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Garland later served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia and as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Division of the United States Department of Justice.

Career

In 1997, President Bill Clinton appointed Garland to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Garland served on the court for 19 years, and he was considered to be a moderate judge. In 2010, Garland was nominated by President Barack Obama to be Solicitor General of the United States. Garland served in this role until 2015, when he was appointed by Obama to be Attorney General.

Achievements

As Attorney General, Garland has overseen the Justice Department's response to a number of high-profile cases, including the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Garland has also been a vocal advocate for criminal justice reform, and he has worked to reduce the number of people incarcerated in federal prisons.

Garland is a highly respected figure in the legal community, and he is widely regarded as a fair and impartial judge. He is a leading voice on criminal justice reform, and he is committed to upholding the rule of law.