Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
In office January 19, 1991 – September 19, 1994
Preceded by
Patricia Wald
Succeeded by
Harry T. Edwards
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
In office September 26, 1979 – September 19, 1994
Appointed by
Jimmy Carter
Preceded by
Seat established
Succeeded by
Merrick Garland
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois
In office January 3, 1975 – September 26, 1979
Preceded by
Samuel H. Young
Succeeded by
John Porter
Constituency
10th
In office January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1973
Preceded by
Barratt O'Hara
Succeeded by
Samuel H. Young (redistricting)
Constituency
2nd
Personal details
Born
Abner Joseph Mikva
(1926-01-21)January 21, 1926 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Died
July 4, 2016(2016-07-04) (aged 90) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political party
Democratic
Education
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Washington University (BA) University of Chicago (JD)
Abner Joseph Mikva (January 21, 1926 – July 4, 2016) was an American politician, federal judge, and legal scholar. He was a member of the Democratic Party. After serving in the Illinois House of Representatives, Mikva ran for congress in 1966 but lost the primary to incumbent congressman Barrett O'Hara. In 1968, Mikva defeated O'Hara. Mikva served in the United States House of Representatives representing Illinois's 2nd congressional district (1969–1973) and 10th congressional district (1975–1979). He was appointed as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit by President Jimmy Carter, serving from 1979 to 1994. He served as the White House Counsel from 1994 to 1995 during Bill Clinton's presidency. He was one of the few people in modern times to serve in the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the Federal government.
In his later career, Mikva taught at the University of Chicago Law School, the Georgetown University Law Center and the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. He mentored future President of the United States Barack Obama and future United States Attorney General Merrick Garland (who also succeeded him on the D.C. Circuit) during their early years in law. In 2014, Obama honored Mikva with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Abner Joseph Mikva (January 21, 1926 – July 4, 2016) was an American politician, federal judge, and legal scholar. He was a member of the Democratic Party...
schools and schools of public policy. Litman served as a law clerk to AbnerMikva, Thurgood Marshall, and Anthony Kennedy. His practice specialties have...
a speechwriter to Congressman Abner J. Mikva. After President Jimmy Carter appointed Mikva to the D.C. Circuit, Mikva would rely on Garland when hiring...
Doctor of the University in 2019. Bleich served as a law clerk to Judge AbnerMikva of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit...
promote the concept of action civics nationally. The Mikva Challenge, founded in 1997 by AbnerMikva and his wife now operates nationwide. The organization...
Founder of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights AbnerMikva Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of...
on the staff of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He later worked for AbnerMikva in the White House Counsel's office during the Clinton administration...
AbnerMikva, a close friend, said that as a judge, Stevens refused to discuss politics. "He was more particular about it than a lot of them," Mikva stated...
task force led by former governor Jim Edgar and former federal judge AbnerMikva issued a report in 2001 calling for the revival of cumulative voting...
1994 President Bill Clinton Preceded by Bernard Nussbaum Succeeded by AbnerMikva In office October 1, 1979 – January 20, 1981 President Jimmy Carter Preceded...
Tracey Meares (alumna) Bernard D. Meltzer (alumnus) Soia Mentschikoff AbnerMikva (alumnus) William R. Ming (alumnus) Norval Morris Edward R. Morrison...
March 8, 1994 Bill Clinton Lloyd Cutler March 8, 1994 October 1, 1994 AbnerMikva October 1, 1994 November 1, 1995 Jack Quinn November 1, 1995 February...
additional support galvanized for the reform-minded state legislator, AbnerMikva. It was a measure of his national celebrity that in March 1972, having...
also Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (2017–2019) AbnerMikva (1951), 27th White House Counsel (1994–1995); also Judge and later Chief...
Justice Harry Blackmun at the U. S. Supreme Court and for Chief Judge AbnerMikva on the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. As an associate...
cosponsors included Ed Koch of New York, Donald Fraser of Minnesota, and AbnerMikva of Illinois, as well as Republican Pete McCloskey of California. The...
District of Columbia Circuit that had become vacant with the decision by AbnerMikva to retire from the bench on September 19, 1994, to become White House...
contacted longtime Obama mentor, judge and former congressman AbnerMikva suggesting that Mikva recommend Obama to Emil Jones, Jr., the powerful Democratic...
2010-03-17 at the Wayback Machine, Chicago Sun-Times, October 9, 2008. Judge AbnerMikva (2009-04-30). "Thomas Dart - The 2009 TIME 100". Time. Archived from...
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