Eric Holder

Eric Holder, former deputy attorney general under Janet Reno in the Clinton administration, is expected to be named as attorney general in Barack Obama's administration. Recently, he has worked as a partner at Covington & Burling, representing big-name clients such as the NFL, Chiquita Brands International, and Merck. He is also close to Valerie Jarret, an Obama confidant and co-chairwoman of the Obama transition team. Holder was an early Obama supporter during the Democratic primaries, led his vice-presidential search, along with Caroline Kennedy. (Holder’s bio official biography, via politico): “In 1988, Mr. Holder was nominated by President Reagan to become an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. … In 1993, President Clinton nominated Mr. Holder to become the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. … In 1997, President Clinton appointed Mr. Holder to serve as Deputy Attorney General, the number two position in the United States Department of Justice. He became the first African-American to serve as Deputy Attorney General. Mr. Holder briefly served under President Bush as Acting Attorney General pending the confirmation of Attorney General John Ashcroft. … “Mr. Holder was born in New York City. He attended public schools there, graduating from Stuyvesant High School where he earned a Regents Scholarship. He attended Columbia College, majored in American History, and graduated in 1973. Mr. Holder then attended Columbia Law School from which he graduated in 1976. While in law school, he clerked at the N.A.A.C.P. Legal Defense Fund and the Department of Justice's Criminal Division. Mr. Holder lives in Washington, DC with his wife, Dr. Sharon Malone, an obstetrician, and their three children.”