William Hughes Mulligan (March 5, 1918 – May 13, 1996) was aUnited States circuit judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Born on March 5, 1918, inNew York City,New York, Mulligan received anArtium Baccalaureus degree in 1939 fromFordham University and aJuris Doctor in 1942 fromFordham University School of Law. He served in theUnited States Army as a special agent for theCounterintelligence Corps from 1942 to 1946. He served on the faculty of Fordham University School of Law in a number of capacities from 1946 to 1971, specifically as a lecturer from 1946 to 1952, as an associate professor from 1953 to 1954, as assistant dean and professor of law from 1954 to 1956, as dean from 1956 to 1971 and as the Wilkinson Professor of Law from 1961 to 1971.^[1]

Mulligan was nominated by PresidentRichard Nixon on April 26, 1971, to a seat on theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit vacated by JudgeJ. Edward Lumbard. He was confirmed by theUnited States Senate on May 20, 1971, and received his commission on May 27, 1971. Soon after his confirmation, Mulligan appeared on the short list forthe Supreme Court seats formerly occupied byHugo Black andJohn Marshall Harlan II.^[2] The administration's opinion was that Mulligan's lack of experience as an appellate judge stood against appointment to the Black or Harlan seats, but he would be a likely candidate for the seats then held byWilliam O. Douglas orWilliam J. Brennan Jr. when they became open.^[3] However, when the Douglas seat did become open in 1975, there exists no evidence forGerald Ford ever considering Mulligan as his replacement.

He served as a board member of theFederal Judicial Center from 1979 to 1981. His service terminated on March 31, 1981, due to his resignation.^[1] In resigning, he stated that the salary for federal appellate judges was too low to provide for his family.^[4] He once stated that while he could possibly live on a judge's salary, he could not afford to die on it.^[5]

After his resignation from the federal bench, he engaged in the private practice of law with thelaw firm ofSkadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in New York City from 1981 to 1991. He retired in 1991 after suffering astroke. He died inBronxville, New York on May 13, 1996.^[1]

In addition to his legal career, Mulligan was a successful public speaker delivering acclaimed humorous and serious remarks to a variety of organizations frombar associations to Irish-American civic groups.^{[citation needed]} A collection of Mulligan's after-dinner speeches was edited and posthumously published with an introduction by Mulligan's son, William Hughes Mulligan, Jr., under the titleMulligan's Law: The Wit and Wisdom of William Hughes Mulligan (Fordham University Press 1997).^{[citation needed]}

A summer intramuralmoot court competition at Fordham Law, for rising second-year students, is named for Mulligan.^{[citation needed]} Students who do well receive invitations to join the Fordham Moot Court Board.^{[citation needed]}

• William Hughes Mulligan at theBiographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of theFederal Judicial Center.

• 1918 births
• 1996 deaths
• Fordham University School of Law alumni
• Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
• Deans of law schools in the United States
• Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom people
• United States court of appeals judges appointed by Richard Nixon
• Lawyers from New York City
• Fordham University faculty

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