Michael H. Simon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Judge of theUnited States District Court for the District of Oregon | |
| Assumed office June 22, 2011 | |
| Appointed by | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Ancer L. Haggerty |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Michael Howard Simon (1956-12-01)December 1, 1956 (age 69) New York City, U.S. |
| Spouse | Suzanne Bonamici |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) | Danny Simon Arlene Friedman |
| Relatives | Neil Simon (uncle) |
| Education | University of California, Los Angeles (BA) Harvard University (JD) |
Michael Howard Simon (born December 1, 1956) is aUnited States district judge of theUnited States District Court for the District of Oregon.
Simon was born inNew York City in 1956 into aJewish American family. He was the older of two children born toDanny Simon and Arlene Friedman.[1] Simon's father was a television comedy writer, and his uncleNeil Simon was an acclaimed playwright.[2] Simon earned hisBachelor of Artssumma cum laude in 1978 from theUniversity of California, Los Angeles and hisJuris Doctorcum laude in 1981 fromHarvard Law School.[3] He is married to DemocraticU. S. RepresentativeSuzanne Bonamici.[4][5]
From 1981 until 1986, Simon served as a trial attorney at theUnited States Department of Justice Antitrust Division, inWashington, D.C., where he handled both civil and criminal antitrust matters.[3] During his time with the DOJ, Simon also served in 1985 as aspecial assistant United States attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. In 1986, Simon joined the law firm ofPerkins Coie, where he specialized in business litigation in both state and federal court and acted as head of litigation for the firm'sPortland office. After becoming a partner with the firm in 1990, he handled several high-profileFirst Amendment cases on apro bono basis.[3][5]
On July 14, 2010, PresidentBarack Obama nominated Simon to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Oregon to fill the seat vacated by JudgeAncer L. Haggerty, who assumedsenior status in August 2009.[6][7] Simon's nomination lapsed at the end of 2010, and Obama renominated him on January 5, 2011. On February 17, 2011, theSenate Judiciary Committee reported Simon's nomination to the full United States Senate by a 14–4 vote.[8] In his committee questionnaire, Simon encountered questions from Republican senators about his past work as a volunteer lawyer for theAmerican Civil Liberties Union.[9] On June 21, 2011, the United States Senate confirmed Simon by a 64–35 vote.[10] He received his commission on June 22, 2011.[5]
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Judge of theUnited States District Court for the District of Oregon 2011–present | Incumbent |
