Michael Boudin | |
|---|---|
.webp) Boudin in 2011 | |
| Senior Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit | |
| In office June 1, 2013 – December 15, 2021 | |
| Chief Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit | |
| In office June 15, 2001 – June 16, 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Juan R. Torruella |
| Succeeded by | Sandra Lynch |
| Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit | |
| In office May 26, 1992 – June 1, 2013 | |
| Appointed by | George H. W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Levin H. Campbell |
| Succeeded by | David J. Barron |
| Judge of theUnited States District Court for the District of Columbia | |
| In office August 7, 1990 – January 31, 1992 | |
| Appointed by | George H. W. Bush |
| Preceded by | John H. Pratt |
| Succeeded by | Gladys Kessler |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1939-11-29)November 29, 1939 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | March 24, 2025(2025-03-24) (aged 85) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Spouse | Martha Field (separated) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent |
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| Relatives |
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| Education | Harvard University (BA,LLB) |
Michael Boudin (/buːˈdiːn/boo-DEEN; November 29, 1939 – March 24, 2025) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as aUnited States circuit judge of theU.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit from 1992 to 2021. He served as Chief Judge of that court from 2001 to 2008. Before his service on the First Circuit, he was a United States District Judge of theUnited States District Court for the District of Columbia.
Boudin was born inManhattan, New York, on November 29, 1939, in aJewish family; the son of poet Jean (Roisman) Boudin[1] and civil liberties attorneyLeonard Boudin. He was the older brother ofWeather Underground memberKathy Boudin.[2][3][4] He was educated atElizabeth Irwin High School before going on toHarvard University, where he graduated in 1961 with aBachelor of Arts in government. He then attendedHarvard Law School, where he was the president of theHarvard Law Review.[4] He graduated first in his class with aBachelor of Laws in 1964.[2]
Boudin was alaw clerk for JudgeHenry J. Friendly of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 1964 to 1965 and then clerked for JusticeJohn Marshall Harlan II of theSupreme Court of the United States from 1965 to 1966.[5]
From 1966 to 1987, Boudin practiced law atCovington & Burling, aWashington, D.C., law firm.[4] He worked as a visiting professor at Harvard Law School from 1982 to 1983, and then as a lecturer there from 1983 to 1998. He then served in President Reagan's Justice Department as a deputy assistantUnited States Attorney General of the Antitrust Division from 1987 to 1990.[5]
On May 18, 1990, PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush nominated Boudin to theUnited States District Court for the District of Columbia, to a seat vacated byJohn H. Pratt. He was confirmed by theUnited States Senate on August 3, 1990, and received his commission on August 7, 1990. Boudin served on the District Court for about 18 months, but resigned on January 31, 1992, to return to Massachusetts.[5]
Two months later, on March 20, 1992, President Bush nominated Boudin to an appellate judgeship on theUnited States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, headquartered in Boston, to the seat vacated when JudgeLevin H. Campbell assumedsenior status. He was confirmed by the Senate on May 21, 1992, and received his commission on May 26, 1992.[5] Boudin served asChief Judge of the First Circuit from 2001 to 2008. He assumedsenior status on June 1, 2013.[6][5] He retired from service on December 15, 2021.[5]
The New York Times stated that Boudin was "not easy to pigeonhole ideologically".[4] He was described by some as a conservative[3][2] and by others as a centrist.[2][7] In 2012, Boudin penned a decision holding theDefense of Marriage Act, a federal law defining marriage as an opposite-sex union, unconstitutional.[8] Boudin was widely regarded as having a brilliant legal mind.[2][4][7]
Boudin was married to Harvard Law professorMartha Field.[2] They separated in later years but did not divorce.[4] He was elected to theAmerican Philosophical Society in 2010.[9] His nephew,Chesa Boudin, is an attorney who has served asdistrict attorney of San Francisco.[2]
Boudin died from complications of dementia andParkinson's disease at a care facility inBoston on March 24, 2025, at the age of 85.[2]
| Legal offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Judge of theUnited States District Court for the District of Columbia 1990–1992 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit 1992–2013 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chief Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit 2001–2008 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
