Dennis Michael Fisher (born November 7, 1944) is a senior

United States circuit judge In the United States, federal judges are judges who serve on courts established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. They include the chief justice and the associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, the circuit judges of the U.S. ...

of the

United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (in case citations, 3d Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts for the following districts: * District of Delaware * District of New Jersey * East ...

. He also serves as the Distinguished Jurist in Residence at the

University of Pittsburgh School of Law The University of Pittsburgh School of Law (Pitt Law) was founded in 1895. It became a charter member of the Association of American Law Schools in 1900. Its primary home facility is the Barco Law Building. The school offers four degrees: Master ...

. A former politician, Fisher has served as a state representative, state senator, and as Attorney General of Pennsylvania. He was the Republican nominee for Governor of Pennsylvania in 2002, losing to

Ed Rendell Edward Gene Rendell (; born January 5, 1944) is an American lawyer, prosecutor, politician, and author. He served as the 45th Governor of Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2011, as chair of the national Democratic Party, and as the 96th Mayor of Philad ...

Early career and education

Fisher began his legal career in his hometown of Pittsburgh following his graduation from

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...

with an Artium Baccalaureus degree in 1966 and

Georgetown University Law Center The Georgetown University Law Center (Georgetown Law) is the law school of Georgetown University, a private research university in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1870 and is the largest law school in the United States by enrollment and ...

with a Juris Doctor in 1969. As an Assistant District Attorney for Allegheny County, he handled nearly 1,000 cases, including 25 homicides. He continued to practice law during his career in the General Assembly and was a shareholder or partner in various firms, including Houston Harbaugh, where he practiced from 1984 to 1997. Fisher’s law practice included civil litigation, commercial law, estate planning and real estate.

Political career

Before his election as Attorney General, Fisher served for 22 years in the Pennsylvania General Assembly, serving 6 years in the State House and 16 years as a member of the

State Senate A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 27 states, the legislature is simply called the ''Legislature'' or the ''State Legislature'', whil ...

. He was a member of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, the Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and the Majority Whip of the Senate. During his legislative career, he was a leader in criminal and civil justice reform and an architect of many major environmental laws. He ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 **Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal enter ...

, serving as the

running mate A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position (such as the vice presidential candidate running with a pr ...

of Bill Scranton.

Attorney General

Prior to becoming a judge, he was elected Attorney General of

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

in 1996 and re-elected in

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...

. Fisher personally argued major cases in state and federal appellate courts. In March 1998, he successfully argued before the

United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

a precedent-setting case ensuring that paroled criminals meet the conditions of their release. In a 2009 documentary film about the politics behind attempts to move the

Barnes Foundation The Barnes Foundation is an art collection and educational institution promoting the appreciation of art and horticulture. Originally in Merion, the art collection moved in 2012 to a new building on Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia, Penn ...

art collection to the Philadelphia Museum of Art called “ The Art of the Steal,” Fisher admitted using pressure on Lincoln University officials to get them to approve the move.

2002 gubernatorial election

Fisher ran for governor of Pennsylvania in the 2002 election. Early in the campaign, the Republican State Committee gravitated to him as the nominee, much to the chagrin of State Treasurer

Barbara Hafer Barbara Hafer (born August 1, 1943) is an American politician and convicted felon from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She served as a member of the Allegheny County Board of Commissioners from 1984 to 1989, as the Auditor General of Pennsylvan ...

, who had explored a run. After Fisher won the nomination unopposed, Hafer endorsed the Democrat,

and later switched her party affiliation to the Democratic Party. Fisher's campaign website was praised as being among the best during the 2002 election cycle. Fisher's candidacy was unable to gain traction, and he was down in the polls by double digits throughout the fall. In the end, Fisher could not catch Rendell and lost 53.4%–44.4%.

Federal judicial service

Fisher was appointed to the

to serve with

Marjorie Rendell Marjorie "Midge" Rendell ( ''née'' Osterlund; born February 13, 1947) is an American attorney and jurist serving as a Senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and a former First Lady of Penns ...

, Governor Rendell's wife. Fisher was nominated by President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

on May 1, 2003, to a seat vacated by Carol Los Mansmann. He was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

on December 9, 2003, and received commission on December 11, 2003. Fisher officially resigned as Attorney General and assumed his judicial office four days later. He assumed

senior status Senior status is a form of semi- retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of service as a federal judge must be at leas ...

on February 1, 2017.

Personal life

Fisher and his wife, Carol, an education consultant, have two children. Michelle is an attorney, and Brett works in the Merchant Services Business. He also has 4 grandchildren. Cecilia, Camden, Elliott, and Judge.

References

External links

* * * , - , - , - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Fisher, D. Michael 1944 births 21st-century American judges Georgetown University Law Center alumni Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit Living people Republican Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Pennsylvania Attorneys General Pennsylvania lawyers Republican Party Pennsylvania state senators Politicians from Pittsburgh United States court of appeals judges appointed by George W. Bush University of Pittsburgh faculty