Maureen E. Mahoney | |
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.jpg) Mahoney in 2018 | |
| Born | (1954-08-28)August 28, 1954 (age 71) South Bend, Indiana, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Indiana University Bloomington (BA) University of Chicago (JD) |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Spouse | William H. Crispin |
Maureen E. Mahoney (born August 28, 1954) is a former deputysolicitor general and an appellate lawyer at the law firm ofLatham & Watkins in Washington, D.C.,[1] who has argued cases before theSupreme Court of the United States. Notably, she argued on behalf of theUniversity of Michigan and itsaffirmative action program inGrutter v. Bollinger (2003), in which the Court decided in favor of Michigan by a 5–4 vote.
Mahoney was born inSouth Bend, Indiana, while her father Martin was attending theUniversity of Notre Dame Law School.[2] The family moved toMerrillville, Indiana in 1961, when she was in first grade.[2] Mahoney announced at age eight that she wanted to be a lawyer just like her father, who was apersonal injury attorney.[3]
In 1972, Mahoney graduated fromMerrillville High School, where she was on the school's swim team.[2][4] Mahoney earned her undergraduate degree in political science fromIndiana University Bloomington in 1975 withPhi Beta Kappa honors, and herJ.D. degree in 1978 from theUniversity of Chicago Law School, where she served on the school's law review and was a member ofOrder of the Coif.[5]
Mahoney was aclerk for JudgeRobert Sprecher of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit before clerking for then-Associate JusticeWilliam Rehnquist during the 1979–1980 Term.[6]
Mahoney joined Latham & Watkins in 1980 and remained at the firm for the next 11 years.[3] She then served as DeputySolicitor General in theGeorge H. W. Bush administration, where she was a colleague of futureChief Justice of the United StatesJohn G. Roberts.[7] In April 1992, PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush nominated her to serve as a judge of theUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, but her nomination was not acted upon by theSenate before Bush's presidency ended. "It was definitely the low point of my career," she has said. "I never had a hearing, and there was never any opposition that I knew of, so it wasn't ugly. It was just disappointing."[8]
In 1993, Mahoney rejoined Latham & Watkins.[3]
In 2003, Mahoney represented accounting firmArthur Anderson on appeal.[3] In 2007, she wasJoseph Nacchio's lead defense attorney in the proceedings surrounding his allegedinsider trading.[9][10]
Mahoney is a fellow of theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences.[11] She was appointed to the governing committee of theSupreme Court Historical Society, and prior to 2012 served on the Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules to theJudicial Conference of the United States.[12][13]
Harriet Miers' withdrawal of herSupreme Court nomination made Mahoney a possible candidate for the Supreme Court in 2005.[14] However, her position in the University of Michiganaffirmative action cases raised concerns among conservatives, and she ultimately was passed over in favor ofSamuel Alito. "I already have a dream job, but it's extremely flattering to be considered," she told theTimes of Northwest Indiana.[2]
Mahoney was also mentioned as a possible Supreme Court nominee in aJohn McCain presidency.[15]
Mahoney supported former New York MayorRudy Giuliani in the2008 presidential election.[1] In the2012 presidential election, Mahoney supportedMitt Romney.
Mahoney is married to Washington, D.C. lawyer William H. Crispin.[3] They live inAlexandria, Virginia and also have a vacation home onNantucket, Massachusetts. They have two children,[2] Brad and Abigail.[16]
Mahoney also is known for her ritual of eating adonut before each oral argument.[4] "When I swam as a kid, my coach told me I needed sugar in me if I wanted to compete," Mahoney has explained.[8]
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