This is a partial list of individuals who have attended

Columbia Law School Columbia Law School (CLS) is the Law school in the United States, law school of Columbia University, a Private university, private Ivy League university in New York City. The school was founded in 1858 as the Columbia College Law School. The un ...

. For a list of individuals who have attended or taught at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

, see the

list of Columbia University people This is a partially sorted list of notable persons who have had ties to Columbia University. For further listing of notable Columbians see: Notable alumni at Columbia College of Columbia University; Columbia University School of General Studies; ...

Government

United States government

Executive branch

=Presidents

= *

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

(attended, fall 1904 to spring 1907)² (posthumous J.D., class of 1907), 32nd

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

(1933–45) *

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...

(attended, 1880–81)² (posthumous J.D., class of 1882), 26th

(1901–09), hero of the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

(

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

, posthumously awarded 2001),

Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize (Swedish language, Swedish and ) is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the Will and testament, will of Sweden, Swedish industrialist, inventor, and armaments manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobe ...

(1906)

=Cabinet members and cabinet-level officers

= *

Bainbridge Colby Bainbridge Colby (December 22, 1869 – April 11, 1950) was an American politician and attorney who was a co-founder of the United States Progressive Party and Woodrow Wilson's last Secretary of State. Colby was a Republican until he helped co-f ...

(1891),

United States Secretary of State The United States secretary of state (SecState) is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The secretary of state serves as the principal advisor to the ...

(1920–21); founder of the Progressive Party (1912) * Antony John 'Tony' Blinken (1988),

Biden Administration Joe Biden's tenure as the List of presidents of the United States, 46th president of the United States began with Inauguration of Joe Biden, his inauguration on January 20, 2021, and ended on January 20, 2025. Biden, a member of the Democr ...

(2021–), National Security Advisor to

Vice President A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...

Joseph Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

in the Administration of President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

(2009–17) *

Jacob M. Dickinson Jacob McGavock Dickinson (January 30, 1851 – December 13, 1928) was United States Secretary of War under President William Howard Taft from 1909 to 1911. He was succeeded by Henry L. Stimson. He was an attorney, politician, and businessman ...

(attended), 44th

United States Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the President of the United States, U.S. president's United States Cabinet, Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's Presidency of George Washington, administration. A similar position, called either "Sec ...

(1909–11) *

James Rudolph Garfield James Rudolph Garfield (October 17, 1865 – March 24, 1950) was an American lawyer and politician. Garfield was a son of President James A. Garfield and First Lady Lucretia Garfield. He served as Secretary of the Interior during President ...

(1888),

United States Secretary of the Interior The United States secretary of the interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior. The secretary and the Department of the Interior are responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land along with natura ...

(1907–09),

United States Civil Service Commission The United States Civil Service Commission was a government agency of the federal government of the United States. It was created to select employees of federal government on merit rather than relationships. In 1979, it was dissolved as part of ...

(1902–03) *

Eric Holder Eric Himpton Holder Jr. (born January 21, 1951) is an American lawyer who served as the 82nd United States attorney general from 2009 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Holder was the first African Ameri ...

(1976), 82nd

United States Attorney General The United States attorney general is the head of the United States Department of Justice and serves as the chief law enforcement officer of the Federal government of the United States, federal government. The attorney general acts as the princi ...

, former Acting U.S. Attorney General, former U.S. Deputy Attorney General *

Charles Evans Hughes Charles Evans Hughes (April 11, 1862 – August 27, 1948) was an American politician, academic, and jurist who served as the 11th chief justice of the United States from 1930 to 1941. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

(1884),

, professor of law at Cornell Law School, Governor of New York (1907), Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court (1910–16), Republican nominee for President of the United States (1916-against Woodrow Wilson), and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (1930–41) *

John Jay John Jay (, 1745 – May 17, 1829) was an American statesman, diplomat, signatory of the Treaty of Paris (1783), Treaty of Paris, and a Founding Father of the United States. He served from 1789 to 1795 as the first chief justice of the United ...

,¹ Acting

(1789–90); Sixth

President of the Continental Congress The president of the United States in Congress Assembled, known unofficially as the president of the Continental Congress and later as president of the Congress of the Confederation, was the presiding officer of the Continental Congress, the con ...

(1778–79); Second

United States Secretary of Foreign Affairs This is a list of secretaries of state of the United States. Secretaries of foreign affairs (1781–1789) On January 10, 1780, the Congress of the Confederation created the Department of Foreign Affairs. On August 10, 1781, Congress selected ...

(1784–89); Acting

(1789); co-author of ''

The Federalist Papers ''The Federalist Papers'' is a collection of 85 articles and essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the collective pseudonym "Publius" to promote the ratification of the Constitution of the United States. The ...

'' *

Jeh Johnson Jeh Charles Johnson ( "Jay"; born September 11, 1957) is an American lawyer and former government official. He was United States Secretary of Homeland Security from 2013 to 2017. From 2009 to 2012, Johnson was the general counsel of the Departm ...

United States Secretary of Homeland Security The United States secretary of homeland security is the head of the United States Department of Homeland Security, the federal department tasked with ensuring public safety in the United States. The secretary is a member of the Cabinet of the ...

(2013–) *

Franklin MacVeagh Franklin MacVeagh (November 22, 1837July 6, 1934) was an American politician, lawyer, grocer and banker. He served as the United States Secretary of the Treasury under President William Howard Taft. Formative years and family Born on November ...

(1864),

United States Secretary of the Treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...

(1909–13) *

Joseph McKenna Joseph McKenna (August 10, 1843 – November 21, 1926) was an American politician who served in all three branches of the Government of the United States, U.S. federal government as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, as U.S. Attorne ...

42nd

Attorney General of the United States The United States attorney general is the head of the United States Department of Justice and serves as the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government. The attorney general acts as the principal legal advisor to the president of the ...

(1897–98) (studied at Columbia Law while AG, before taking seat on

U.S. 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 turn on question ...

) *

Frank Polk Frank Lyon Polk (September 13, 1871 – February 7, 1943) was an American lawyer and diplomat, who was also a name partner of the law firm today known as Davis Polk & Wardwell. Early life Polk was born in New York City. He was the son of ...

(1897), Acting

(1920),

Under Secretary of State Under Secretary of State (U/S) is a title used by senior officials of the United States Department of State who rank above the Assistant Secretaries and below the Deputy Secretary. From 1919 to 1972, the Under Secretary was the second-ranking of ...

(2nd ranking official in the

U.S. Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs o ...

) (1919–20) * Oscar S. Straus (1873),

United States Secretary of Commerce and Labor The United States Department of Commerce and Labor was a short-lived Cabinet department of the United States government, which was concerned with fostering and supervising big business. It existed from 1903 to 1913. The United States Departmen ...

(1906–09), first Jewish Presidential Cabinet Secretary *

Russell E. Train Russell Errol Train (June 4, 1920 – September 17, 2012) was the second administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), from September 1973 to January 1977 and the founder chairman emeritus of World Wildlife Fund (WWF). As the sec ...

(1948), 2nd Administrator,

United States Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent agency of the United States government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it began operation on De ...

(EPA) (Cabinet level officer) (1973–77); chairman, newly formed President's

Council on Environmental Quality The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is a division of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, Executive Office of the President that coordinates federal Natural environment, environmental efforts in the United States ...

(1970–73); 1991

Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, alongside the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by decision of the president of the United States to "any person recommended to the President ...

* Frank Blake (1976), Deputy

United States Secretary of Energy The United States secretary of energy is the head of the United States Department of Energy, a member of the Cabinet of the United States and fifteenth in the United States presidential line of succession, presidential line of succession. The po ...

(2nd ranking official in the

United States Department of Energy The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government that oversees U.S. national energy policy and energy production, the research and development of nuclear power, the military's nuclear w ...

) *

J. Reuben Clark Joshua Reuben Clark Jr. (September 1, 1871 – October 6, 1961) was an American attorney, civil servant, and a prominent leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Born in Grantsville, Utah Territory, Clark was a ...

(1906),

United States Under Secretary of State Under Secretary of State (U/S) is a title used by senior officials of the United States Department of State who rank above the United States Assistant Secretary of State, Assistant Secretaries and below the United States Deputy Secretary of State, ...

for President

Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States, serving from 1923 to 1929. A Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer from Massachusetts, he previously ...

(2nd ranking official in the

from 1919 to 1972) *

Eric Hargan Eric David Hargan (born June 3, 1968) is an American lawyer and government official who served as United States Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services from October 2017 to January 2021. A member of the Republican Party, Hargan previously ...

, Acting Deputy Secretary,

United States Department of Health and Human Services The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the US federal government created to protect the health of the US people and providing essential human services. Its motto is ...

(2nd ranking official in the Department) under President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

* Harold M. Ickes, Deputy

Chief of Staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...

in the

Clinton administration Bill Clinton's tenure as the 42nd president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1993, and ended on January 20, 2001. Clinton, a Democrat from Arkansas, took office following his victory over Republican in ...

* George Lockhart Rives (B.A. 1868, LL.B.1873),

United States Assistant Secretary of State Assistant Secretary of State (A/S) is a title used for many executive positions in the United States Department of State, ranking below the Under Secretary of State, under secretaries. A set of six assistant secretaries reporting to the Under Sec ...

(2nd ranking official in the U.S.

Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs ...

from 1853 until 1913) (1887–89) * John J. Sullivan (J.D. 1985),

United States Deputy Secretary of Commerce The United States deputy secretary of commerce is a high-ranking position within the United States Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce. It was created on December 13, 1979, when President Jimmy Carter sent a letter to the United Sta ...

(2nd ranking official in the

U.S. Department of Commerce The United States Department of Commerce (DOC) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government. It is responsible for gathering data for business and governmental decision making, establishing industrial standards, catalyzing econo ...

) (2008–09) under

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

* Harold R. Tyler, Jr. (1949),

United States Deputy Attorney General The United States deputy attorney general is the second-highest-ranking official in the United States Department of Justice and oversees the day-to-day operation of the department. The deputy attorney general acts as attorney general during the ...

(2nd ranking official in the

U.S. Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the U.S. government that oversees the domestic enforcement of federal laws and the administration of justice. It is equi ...

) (1975–77) * J. Mayhew Wainwright (1886), U.S.

Assistant Secretary of War The United States assistant secretary of war was the second–ranking official within the American Department of War from 1861 to 1867, from 1882 to 1883, and from 1890 to 1940. According to thMilitary Laws of the United States "The act of Augus ...

(2nd ranking official in the U.S. Department of War until 1940) (1921–23) * Lawrence Edward Walsh (1935),

(2nd ranking official in the

) (1957–60)

=Directors of Central Intelligence

= *

William Colby William Egan Colby (January 4, 1920 – May 6, 1996) was an American intelligence officer who served as Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) from September 1973 to January 1976. During World War II, Colby served with the Office of Strat ...

(1947),

; 10th U.S.

Director of Central Intelligence The director of central intelligence (DCI) was the head of the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 1946 to 2004, acting as the principal intelligence advisor to the president of the United States and the United States National Se ...

for the United States

Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...

under Presidents

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

and

Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. (born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was the 38th president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Ford assumed the p ...

(1973–76) *

William Joseph Donovan William Joseph "Wild Bill" Donovan (January 1, 1883 – February 8, 1959) was an American soldier, lawyer, intelligence officer and diplomat. He is best known for serving as the head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the precursor to ...

(Law 1908), known as Father of the

(CIA); founder and first director of the

Office of Strategic Services The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was the first intelligence agency of the United States, formed during World War II. The OSS was formed as an agency of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to coordinate espionage activities behind enemy lines ...

(OSS) (formed during World War II, the predecessor of the CIA); U.S. Coordinator of Information (COI) under

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

; also World War I hero,

; 1959

Freedom Award The International Rescue Committee (IRC) bestows its Freedom Award for extraordinary contributions to the cause of refugees and human Freedom (political), freedom. According to the IRC, "The Freedom Award reveals the remarkable ability of an ind ...

=White House Counsel

= *

Lanny A. Breuer Lanny Arthur Breuer (born August 5, 1958) is an American criminal defense lawyer who currently serves as vice chair of Covington & Burling LLP. From 2009 to 2013, he served as Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division of the U.S. De ...

(B.A. 1980, J.D. 1985), Special

White House Counsel The White House Counsel is a senior staff appointee of the president of the United States whose role is to advise the president on all legal issues concerning the president and their administration. The White House counsel also oversees the Off ...

(1997–99) under

Clinton Clinton is an English toponymic surname, indicating one's ancestors came from English places called Glympton or Glinton.Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. ''A Dictionary of Surnames''. Oxford University Press, 1988 Clinton has also been used as a given nam ...

; helped represent

President Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the att ...

during independent counsel and congressional investigations and the impeachment hearings;

Covington & Burling Covington & Burling LLP is an American multinational law firm. Known as a white-shoe law firm, it is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and advises clients on transactional, litigation, regulatory, and public policy matters. The firm has addition ...

vice chair; former assistant Manhattan D.A. (1985–1989); U.S. Assistant A.G. for the Criminal Division (2009–2013) under

Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. Ob ...

* David B. Rivkin (J.D.), Legal Advisor to

of then President

Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party and became an important figure in ...

; deputy director of the Office of Policy Development (OPD) *

Samuel Irving Rosenman Samuel Irving Rosenman (February 13, 1896 – June 24, 1973) was an American lawyer, judge, Democratic Party activist, and presidential speechwriter. He coined the term "New Deal", and helped articulate liberal policies during the heyday of the ...

(1919), first

(1943–46) under Presidents

and

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...

Charles Ruff Charles Frederick Carson Ruff (August 1, 1939 – November 19, 2000) was a prominent American lawyer based in Washington, D.C., and was best known as the White House Counsel who defended President Bill Clinton during his impeachment trial in 1999 ...

(1963),

under President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

, defended President during

impeachment trial An impeachment trial is a trial that functions as a component of an impeachment. Several governments utilize impeachment trials as a part of their processes for impeachment. Differences exist between governments as to what stage trials take place ...

in 1999 * Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. (J.D.),

Deputy White House Counsel The White House Counsel is a senior staff appointee of the president of the United States whose role is to advise the president on all legal issues concerning the president and their administration. The White House counsel also oversees the Off ...

under President

* Trevor Morrison (1998), Associate

to President

(2009–10), professor of constitutional law at Columbia Law School *

Benjamin Powell Benjamin W. "Ben" Powell (born 1978) is the director of the Free Market Institute at Texas Tech University and professor of economics at Texas Tech University's Rawls College of Business. He is also a junior fellow at the Independent Institute ...

(1996), Associate

and

Special Assistant to the President Special or specials may refer to: Policing * Specials, Ulster Special Constabulary, the Northern Ireland police force * Specials, Special Constable, an auxiliary, volunteer, or temporary; police worker or police officer * Special police forces Mi ...

during administration of

; General Counsel,

Office of the Director of National Intelligence The director of national intelligence (DNI) is a cabinet-level United States government intelligence and security official. The position is required by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to serve as executive head o ...

(General Counsel to the first three Directors of National Intelligence) (2006–09)

=Presidential advisors

= *

Stephen Friedman (PFIAB) Stephen Friedman (born December 21, 1937) is an American economist. He is a former chairman of the U.S. President's Intelligence Advisory Board, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and Goldman Sachs. He was nominated on October 27, 2004, to repl ...

(1962), Director, President's

United States National Economic Council The National Economic Council (NEC) is the principal forum used by the president of the United States for the consideration of domestic and international economic policy matters with senior policymaking and Cabinet officials, and forms part of ...

under

(2002–05),

Chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...

of the

President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board The President's Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB) is an advisory body to the Executive Office of the President of the United States. According to its self-description, it "provides advice to the President concerning the quality and adequacy o ...

(2005–09) (replacing

Brent Scowcroft Brent Scowcroft (; March 19, 1925August 6, 2020) was a United States Air Force officer, and a two-time National Security Advisor (United States), United States National Security Advisor, first under U.S. President Gerald Ford and then under Georg ...

) *

Ulysses S. Grant, Jr. Ulysses S. "Buck" Grant Jr. (July 22, 1852 – September 25, 1929) was an American attorney and entrepreneur. He was the second son of U.S. president Ulysses S. Grant. Early life and education Ulysses S. Grant Jr. was born in Bethel, Ohio, on J ...

, personal secretary to President

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. In 1865, as Commanding General of the United States Army, commanding general, Grant led the Uni ...

* Mark Barnes (LL.M. 1991), member, National Health Care Reform Task Force in the administration of President

* John D. Clark (1907), member of President's

Council of Economic Advisors The Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) is a United States agency within the Executive Office of the President established in 1946, which advises the president of the United States on economic policy. The CEA provides much of the empirical resea ...

(1946–53) under President

Harry S Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th Vice president of the United States, vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Frank ...

* Jonathan W. Daniels (failed out of the Law School),

White House Press Secretary The White House press secretary is a senior White House official whose primary responsibility is to act as spokesperson for the executive branch of the United States federal government, especially with regard to the president, senior aides and ...

under Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman * Lynn Forester de Rothschild,

Advisory Board under President

Ken Khachigian Kenneth L. Khachigian (born September 14, 1944, in Visalia, California) is an American political consultant, speechwriter, and attorney. He is best known for being a longtime aide to President Richard Nixon and chief speechwriter to President Ron ...

(J.D 1969), speechwriter for President

, Chief speechwriter for President

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

* John Marshall Kernochan, member of President

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...

's Commission on the Status of Women, which helped lead to women's rights legislation in the late 1960s * Jay Lefkowitz (1987), Deputy Assistant to President

for Domestic Policy * Kathleen McGinty (J.D.)— Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (1995–98) *

Brett H. McGurk Brett Holden McGurk (born April 20, 1973) is an American diplomat, attorney, and academic who served in senior national security positions under presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden. He served as deputy assistant t ...

(1999),

United States National Security Council The United States National Security Council (NSC) is the national security council used by the president of the United States for consideration of national security, military, and Foreign relations of the United States, foreign policy matter ...

under President

; Special Adviser-Iraq (2009–);

Private militias in Iraq The term militia in contemporary Iraq refers to armed groups that fight on behalf of or as part of the Iraqi government, the Mahdi Army and Badr Organization being two of the biggest. Many predate the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, but some have em ...

S. Jay Plager Sheldon Jay Plager (born May 16, 1931) is an American judge who is a Senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Early life and education Born in Long Branch, New Jersey to A.L. and Clara P ...

(LL.M. 1961), associate director, United States

Office of Management and Budget The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States (EOP). The office's most prominent function is to produce the president's budget, while it also examines agency pro ...

(1987–88) *

Richard Stone Sir John Richard Nicholas Stone (30 August 1913 – 6 December 1991) was an eminent British economist. He was educated at Gonville and Caius College and King's College at the University of Cambridge. In 1984, he was awarded the Nobel Memori ...

, Vice Chairman of President

's Commission for Radio Broadcasting to Cuba

=Commissioners and agency heads, subcabinet members

= * Nathan Feinsinger (Law, post-graduate study), chairman, United States Wage Stabilization Board, named to the Board in 1951 by President

William Dudley Foulke William Dudley Foulke (November 20, 1848 – May 30, 1935) was an American literary critic, journalist, poet, and reformer. Biography William Dudley Foulke was born in New York City on November 20, 1848. He graduated Columbia University in 1869 ...

(1871), Commissioner,

, which subsequently became the U.S.

Office of Personnel Management The United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is an independent agency of the United States government that manages the United States federal civil service. The agency provides federal human resources policy, oversight, and support, a ...

(OPM) with some functions spun off to the U.S.

Office of Special Counsel An office is a space where the employees of an organization perform Business administration, administrative Work (human activity), work in order to support and realize the various goals of the organization. The word "office" may also denote a po ...

and the U.S.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a federal agency that was established via the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to administer and enforce civil rights laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination ...

(EEOC) *

Harvey Goldschmid Harvey Jerome Goldschmid (May 6, 1940 – February 12, 2015) was the Dwight Professor of Law at Columbia Law School. From 2002 to 2005, he served as a member of the Securities & Exchange Commission, where, though a Democrat, often sided with cha ...

(1965), Commissioner (2002–05), and previously General Counsel, special adviser to the chairman,

United States Securities and Exchange Commission The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street crash of 1929. Its ...

Henry Clay Hall Henry Clay Hall Jr. (January 3, 1860 – November 9, 1936) was an American attorney and commissioner of the Interstate Commerce Commission, appointed by president Woodrow Wilson in 1914 and who served on the Commission from March 21, 1914, to Ja ...

(1883), twice Chairman (1917–18, 1924), Commissioner (1914–28),

Interstate Commerce Commission The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was a regulatory agency in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads (and later Trucking industry in the United States, truc ...

* John D. Hawke, Jr. (1960), United States Comptroller of the Currency (1998–2004) under Presidents

and

; a director of the

United States Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is a State-owned enterprises of the United States, United States government corporation supplying deposit insurance to depositors in American commercial banks and savings banks. The FDIC was cr ...

, among other agencies (1998–2004);

Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance The under secretary of the treasury for domestic finance is a high-ranking position within United States Department of the Treasury that reports to, advises, and assists the secretary of the treasury and the deputy secretary of the treasury. The ...

(1995–98) * Edward Hidalgo (1936),

Secretary of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department within the United States Department of Defense. On March 25, 2025, John Phelan was confirm ...

(1979–81);

Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) The assistant secretary of the navy (manpower and reserve affairs) (abbreviated as ASN M&RA) is a civilian office in the United States Department of the Navy. The assistant secretary of the navy (manpower and reserve affairs) reports to the und ...

(1977–79) *

William Kovacic William Evan Kovacic (born 1952) is an American legal scholar who was a commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from 2006 to 2011, including as its chairman from 2008 to 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. Kovacic is known fo ...

(1978), Chairman (2008–09), Commissioner (2006–09),

Federal Trade Commission The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government whose principal mission is the enforcement of civil (non-criminal) United States antitrust law, antitrust law and the promotion of consumer protection. It ...

* Craig E. Leen (2000), Director,

Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) is part of the U.S. Department of Labor. OFCCP is responsible for ensuring that employers doing business with the federal government comply with the laws and regulations requiring nondis ...

(OFCCP),

U.S. Department of Labor The United States Department of Labor (DOL) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is responsible for the administration of federal laws governing occupational safety and health, wage and hour standards, unem ...

(2018–21) * Irving Lewis "Scooter" Libby (1975), Chief of Staff, Vice President

Dick Cheney Richard Bruce Cheney ( ; born January 30, 1941) is an American former politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. He has been called vice presidency o ...

(2001–05);

convicted In law, a conviction is the determination by a court of law that a defendant is guilty of a crime. A conviction may follow a guilty plea that is accepted by the court, a jury trial in which a verdict of guilty is delivered, or a trial by jud ...

obstruction of justice In United States jurisdictions, obstruction of justice refers to a number of offenses that involve unduly influencing, impeding, or otherwise interfering with the justice system, especially the legal and procedural tasks of prosecutors, investiga ...

charges for his role in

Plame affair The Plame affair (also known as the CIA leak scandal and Plamegate) was a political scandal that revolved around journalist Robert Novak's public identification of Valerie Plame as a covert Central Intelligence Agency officer in 2003. In 2002, ...

(2007);

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living wage, living writing novels and other fiction, while other ...

* Charles E. F. Millard, Director, United States

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) is a United States federally chartered corporation created by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to encourage the continuation and maintenance of voluntary private defined ...

(2007–09) *

Annette Nazareth Annette LaPorte Nazareth (born January 27, 1956) is an American attorney who served as a Commissioner of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from August 4, 2005 to January 31, 2008. She is currently a partner at Davis Polk & Wardwell, wh ...

, Commissioner,

(2005–08) *

Robert Pitofsky Robert Pitofsky (December 27, 1929 – October 6, 2018) was an American lawyer and politician who was the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission of the United States from April 11, 1995, to May 31, 2001. He had previously been Dean of the Geor ...

, Chairman (1995–2001), Commissioner (1978–81),

Mary Jo White Mary Jo White (born December 27, 1947) is an American attorney who served as the 31st chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from 2013 to 2017. She was the first woman to be the United States Attorney for the Southern District o ...

(1974), Chairman (2013–), Commissioner (2013–),

* Carol A. DiBattiste (LL.M. 1986), former

United States Under Secretary of the Air Force The under secretary of the air force (USECAF, or SAF/US), sometimes referred to as the under secretary of the Department of the Air Force, is the second-highest ranking civilian official in the Department of the Air Force of the United States of ...

(2nd highest civilian official in the U.S. Department of the Air Force) (1999–2001) *

Tracy Voorhees Tracy Stebbins Voorhees (June 30, 1890 – September 25, 1974) served as Under Secretary of the United States Army from August 1949 to April 1950. He held numerous positions within the U.S. Government as a civilian. A practicing attorney, Voorh ...

(1915), Under

Secretary of the United States Army The secretary of the Army (SA or SECARMY) is a senior civilian official within the United States Department of Defense, with statutory responsibility for all matters relating to the United States Army: manpower, personnel, reserve affairs, insta ...

(2nd ranking official in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

) (1949–50)

=Solicitors general

= *

Lloyd Wheaton Bowers Lloyd Wheaton Bowers (March 9, 1859 – September 9, 1910) was an American lawyer. Life and career Bowers was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, the son of Samuel Dwight Bowers and Martha Wheaton Dowd. On both sides, his ancestors were Purit ...

United States Solicitor General The solicitor general of the United States (USSG or SG), is the fourth-highest-ranking official within the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), and represents the federal government in cases before the Supreme Court of the United States. ...

(1909–10) *

Charles Fried Charles Anthony Fried (born Karel Fried; April 15, 1935 – January 23, 2024) was an American jurist and lawyer. He served as Solicitor General of the United States under President Ronald Reagan from 1985 to 1989. He was a professor at Harvard L ...

(1960), United States Solicitor General (1985–89), Acting United States Solicitor General, Deputy United States Solicitor General * Daniel M. Friedman (1940), Acting United States Solicitor General (1977); First Deputy Solicitor General * Stanley Foreman Reed, United States Solicitor General (1935–38) *

Donald Verrilli Jr. Donald Beaton Verrilli Jr. (born June 29, 1957) is an American lawyer who served as the solicitor general of the United States from 2011 to 2016. President Barack Obama nominated Verrilli to the post on January 26, 2011. On June 6, the United Sta ...

(1983), United States Solicitor General (2011–); White House Deputy Counsel to the President (2010–11) *

R. Kent Greenawalt R. Kent Greenawalt (June 25, 1936 — January 27, 2023) was a legal scholar who was University Professor at Columbia Law School. His primary interests involved constitutional law, especially First Amendment jurisprudence, and legal philosophy. B ...

(1963), Deputy United States Solicitor General (1971–72)

Judicial branch

=Supreme Court

= *

Samuel Blatchford Samuel M. Blatchford (March 9, 1820 – July 7, 1893) was an American attorney and judge who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from April 3, 1882, until his death in 1893. Early life and career Blatchf ...

(1837)¹, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (1882–93) *

Benjamin Nathan Cardozo Benjamin Nathan Cardozo (May 24, 1870 – July 9, 1938) was an American lawyer and jurist who served on the New York Court of Appeals from 1914 to 1932 and as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1932 until his deat ...

(B.A.-CC, attended Law School for two years), Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (1932–38); judge,

New York Court of Appeals The New York Court of Appeals is the supreme court, highest court in the Judiciary of New York (state), Unified Court System of the New York (state), State of New York. It consists of seven judges: the Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeal ...

(1914–32) *

William O. Douglas William Orville Douglas (October 16, 1898January 19, 1980) was an American jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1939 to 1975. Douglas was known for his strong progressive and civil libertari ...

(1925), Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (1939–75); professor at Columbia Law and

Yale Law School Yale Law School (YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824. The 2020–21 acceptance rate was 4%, the lowest of any law school in the United ...

(1928–34), Chairman of the

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street crash of 1929. Its primary purpose is to enforce laws against market m ...

(1936–39) *

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Joan Ruth Bader Ginsburg ( ; Bader; March 15, 1933 – September 18, 2020) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 until Death and state funeral of Ruth Bader ...

(1959), Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (1993–2020); professor at Rutgers Law (1963–72) and Columbia Law (1972–80);

ACLU The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an American nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1920. ACLU affiliates are active in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The budget of the ACLU in 2024 was $383 million. ...

attorney (1972–80); judge,

United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (in case citations, D.C. Cir.) is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals. It has the smallest geographical jurisdiction of any of the U.S. courts of appeals, ...

(1980–93) *

(1884), Chief Justice of the United States (1930–41); Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (1910–16); Secretary of State (1921–29);

Governor of New York The governor of New York is the head of government of the U.S. state of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor ...

(1907); Republican nominee for President of the United States (1916) *

(1764)¹, First Chief Justice of the United States (1789–95) *

Stanley Forman Reed Stanley Forman Reed (December 31, 1884 – April 2, 1980) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1938 to 1957. He also served as U.S. Solicitor General from 1935 to 1938. Born in Ma ...

, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (1938–57);

(1935–38) *

Harlan Fiske Stone Harlan is a given name and a surname which may refer to: Surname * Abram D. Harlan (1833–1908), American politician from Pennsylvania * Bob Harlan (born 1936 Robert E. Harlan), American football executive * Bruce Harlan (1926–1959), America ...

(1898), Chief Justice of the United States (1941–46); Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (1925–41);

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

(1924–25); professor (1902–05) and dean (1910–23) at Columbia Law School *

(studied at the law school), Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (1892–97)

=Court of Appeals

= * Joseph F. Bianco (1991),

United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (in case citations, 2d Cir.) is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals. Its territory covers the states of Connecticut, New York (state), New York, and Vermont, and it has ap ...

(2019–);

United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York The United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York (in case citations, E.D.N.Y.) is the United States district court, federal district court whose territorial jurisdiction spans five List of counties in New York, counties in ...

(2005–19) *

, former

United States District Court for the Southern District of New York The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case citations, S.D.N.Y.) is a federal trial court whose geographic jurisdiction encompasses eight counties of the State of New York. Two of these are in New York Ci ...

* Hugh H. Bownes (1948),

United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (in case citations, 1st Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts: * District of Maine * District of Massachusetts ...

(1977–2003),

United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire The United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire (in case citations, D.N.H.) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the state of New Hampshire. The Warren B. Rudman U.S. Courthouse for the New Hampshir ...

(1968–77) *

LeBaron Bradford Colt LeBaron Bradford Colt (June 25, 1846 – August 18, 1924) was a United States senator from Rhode Island and a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and of the United States Circuit Courts for the ...

(1870),

(1891–13);

United States Circuit Court The United States circuit courts were the intermediate level courts of the United States federal court system from 1789 until 1912. They were established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, and had trial court jurisdiction over civil suits of diversit ...

(1894–91);

United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island The United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island (in case citations, D.R.I.) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Rhode Island. The District Court was created in 1790 when Rhode Island ratified the ...

(1881–84) * Kyle Duncan (LL.M. 2004),

United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (in case citations, 5th Cir.) is one of the 13 United States courts of appeals. It has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts: ...

(2018–) *

James Alger Fee James Alger Fee (September 24, 1888 – August 25, 1959) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and previously was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the D ...

(1914),

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts for the following federal judicial districts: * Distric ...

(1954–59),

United States District Court for the District of Oregon The United States District Court for the District of Oregon (in case citations, D. Ore. or D. Or.) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the state of Oregon. It was created in 1859 when the state was admitted to the Union. ...

(1931–54) *

Wilfred Feinberg Wilfred Feinberg (June 22, 1920 – July 31, 2014) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and previously was a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southe ...

(1946),

* Daniel M. Friedman (1940),

United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (in case citations, Fed. Cir. or C.A.F.C.) is one of the 13 United States courts of appeals. It has special appellate jurisdiction over certain categories of cases in the U.S. federa ...

(1982–2011);

Chief judge Chief judge may refer to: In lower or circuit courts The highest-ranking or most senior member of a lower court or circuit court with more than one judge. * Chief judge (Australia) * Chief judge (United States) In supreme courts Some of Chief ...

United States Court of Claims The Court of Claims was a federal court that heard claims against the United States government. It was established in 1855, renamed in 1948 to the United States Court of Claims (), and abolished in 1982. Then, its jurisdiction was assumed by the n ...

(1978–82) *

John Patrick Hartigan John Patrick Hartigan (December 29, 1887 – August 10, 1968) was Attorney General of Rhode Island, a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island and a United States Circuit Judge of the Unite ...

(A.M., LL.B.),

(1951–68),

(1940–51) * Paul Raymond Hays,

(1961–80) *

Emile Henry Lacombe Emile Henry Lacombe (January 29, 1846 – November 28, 1924) was a United States federal judge, United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and of the United States circuit court, United States Circuit ...

(1865),

(1887–1916) *

Barbara Lagoa Barbara Lagoa (born November 2, 1967) is an American attorney and jurist serving as a United States federal judge, United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Prior to becoming a federal judge, she ...

(1992),

United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit (in case citations, 11th Cir.) is a federal appellate court over the following U.S. district courts: * Middle District of Alabama * Northern District of Alabama * Southern District ...

(2019–); favored Supreme Court nominee to replace

* Gerard E. Lynch (1975),

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (in case citations, 2d Cir.) is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals. Its territory covers the states of Connecticut, New York, and Vermont, and it has appellate jurisdic ...

(2009–);

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case citations, S.D.N.Y.) is a federal trial court whose geographic jurisdiction encompasses eight counties of the State of New York. Two of these are in New York City ...

(2000–09); professor, Columbia (1977–) *

J. Daniel Mahoney John Daniel Mahoney (September 7, 1931 – October 23, 1996) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Education and career Born in Orange, New Jersey, Mahoney received a Bachelor of Arts d ...

(1955),

(1986–96) * Martin Manton (1901),

(1918–39),

(1916–18) * Julius Marshuetz Mayer,

(1921–24);

(1912–21) *

Harold Medina Harold Raymond Medina (February 16, 1888 – March 14, 1990) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and previously was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for ...

(1912), former

;

; cover of ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'' magazine, October 24, 1949; noted for hearing landmark cases of conspiracy and treason; professor of law at Columbia Law; lawyer *

Jack Miller (politician) Jack Richard Miller (June 6, 1916 – August 29, 1994) was an American politician and jurist who served as a Republican United States Senator from Iowa for two terms from 1961 to 1973. He later served as a United States circuit judge of the Unite ...

(1946), former

United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals The United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals (CCPA) was a United States federal court which existed from 1909 to 1982 and had jurisdiction over certain types of civil disputes. History The CCPA began as the United States Court of Custom ...

Leonard P. Moore Leonard Page Moore (July 2, 1898 – December 7, 1982) was a United States federal judge, United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Early life and career Born in Evanston, Illinois, Evanston, Illi ...

(1957–82) *

Harold Leventhal (judge) Harold Leventhal (January 5, 1915 – November 20, 1979) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Education and career Leventhal was born in New York City, New York. He recei ...

(1936),

(1965–79) *

(LL.M. 1961),

* Myrna Perez (2003),

* Giles Sutherland Rich (1929), former

; co-author,

Patent Act of 1952 The Patent Act of 1952 clarified and simplified existing U.S. patent law. It also effected substantive changes, including the codification of the requirement for non-obviousness and the judicial doctrine of contributory infringement. As amended, ...

* Robert D. Sack (1963),

* James Marshall Sprouse (1949),

United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (in case citations, 4th Cir.) is a United States federal court, federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the United States district court, district cou ...

(1979–92; senior status 1992–95) *

Richard Wilde Walker, Jr. Richard Wilde Walker Jr. (March 11, 1857 – April 10, 1936) was an associate justice of the Alabama Supreme Court and a United States federal judge, United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Educati ...

(attended),

(1914–36) *

Jerre Stockton Williams Jerre Stockton Williams (August 21, 1916 – August 29, 1993) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Education and career Born in Denver, Colorado, Williams received an Artium Baccalaureu ...

(1941),

(1980–93) * Peter Woodbury, Chief judge (1959–64) and judge (1941–59),

, senior status (1964–70)

=U.S. District Court

= *

Benjamin Beaton Benjamin Joel Beaton (born 1981) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. Education Beaton is a 1999 graduate of Paducah Tilghman High School. He earned his Bachelor of Arts, ...

(2009),

United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky The United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky (in case citations, W.D. Ky.) is the United States district court, federal district court for the western part of the state of Kentucky. Appeals from the Western District of K ...

(2020–) *

Charles L. Brieant Charles LaMonte Brieant Jr. (March 13, 1923 – July 20, 2008) was a United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York from 1971 to 2008 and its Chief Judge from 198 ...

1949,

(1971–2008) *

Frederick van Pelt Bryan Frederick van Pelt Bryan (April 27, 1904 – April 17, 1978) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Education and career Born in Brooklyn, New York, Bryan received an Artium ...

(1928),

(1956–78) *

Naomi Reice Buchwald Naomi Lynn Reice Buchwald (born February 14, 1944) is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Early life and education Naomi Reice was born in 1944 in Kingston, New York, ...

(1968),

(1999–) * Robert L. Carter (1941), former

* Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum (1953),

(1986–) *

Denise Cote Denise Louise Cote (born October 13, 1946) is a United States federal judge, senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Early life and education Cote was born in St. Cloud, Minn ...

(1975),

(1994–) * Archie Owen Dawson (1923),

(1954–64) * Marvin E. Frankel (1948), former

(1965–78), professor at Columbia * Lee Parsons Gagliardi (1947),

(1971–98) * Paul G. Gardephe (1982),

(2009–) * Gerard Louis Goettel (1955),

United States District Court for the District of New York The following are former United States district courts, which ceased to exist because they were subdivided into smaller units. With the exception of California, each of these courts initially covered an entire U.S. state, and was subdivided as the ...

(1976–) * Nathaniel M. Gorton, federal judge * Alvin Hellerstein (1958),

(1998–) * William Bernard Herlands (1928),

(1959–69) *

George Chandler Holt George Chandler Holt (December 31, 1843 – January 26, 1931) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Education and career Born in Mexico, New York, Holt received an Artium ...

(1869),

(1903–14) * Richard J. Holwell (1970),

(2003–) * Kenneth M. Karas (1991),

(2004–) *

Peter K. Leisure Peter Keeton Leisure (March 21, 1929 – September 17, 2013) was a United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Education and career Born in New York City, ...

(attended),

(1984–) *

Mary Johnson Lowe Mary Johnson Lowe (June 10, 1924 – February 27, 1999) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Education and career Born in New York City, Lowe received a Bachelor of Arts d ...

(LL.M. 1955),

(1978–99) * John S. Martin, Jr. (1961),

(1990–2003) * Charles Miller Metzner (1933),

(1959–) *

Constance Baker Motley Constance Baker Motley ( Baker; September 14, 1921 – September 28, 2005) was an American jurist and politician who served as a Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. A key strategist of the civil rig ...

(1946), first African American woman appointed to federal bench (1966–86); attorney for the

NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is an American civil rights organization formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. B. Du&nbs ...

('45–64); Manhattan Borough President ('64–66) * Edmund Louis Palmieri (1929),

(1954–89; senior status, 1972–89) * Robert P. Patterson, Jr. (1950),

(1988–) * Milton Pollack (A.M., LL.M.),

(1967–2004) * Simon H. Rifkind (1925),

(1941–50) *

Analisa Torres Analisa Nadine Torres (born 1959) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Early life and education Analisa Torres's father, Frank Torres, served for many years as a New York Su ...

(1984), nominee,

(2012–) * Charles H. Tuttle (1902),

(1927–30) * Harold R. Tyler, Jr. (1949),

(1962–75) * Lawrence Edward Walsh (1935),

(1954–57) * Francis A. Winslow,

(1927–29) * John M. Woolsey,

(1929–43) * Mortimer W. Byers (1898),

(1929–62) *

Thomas Chatfield Thomas Ives Chatfield (October 4, 1871 – December 24, 1922) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Education and career Born on October 4, 1871, in Owego, New York, Chatf ...

(1896),

(1907–25) *

Nicholas Garaufis Nicholas George Garaufis (born September 28, 1948) is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Early life and education Garaufis was born in Paterson, New Jersey, to Demetri ...

(1974),

(2000–) * Dora L. Irizarry (1979),

(2003–) *

Charles Proctor Sifton Charles Proctor Sifton (March 18, 1935 – November 9, 2009) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York from 1977 to 2009 and its Chief Judge from 1995 to 2000. Education and career ...

(1961),

(1977–2009) * Jack B. Weinstein (1948),

(1967–present), professor at Columbia (1952–98) * Joseph Carmine Zavatt (1924),

(1957–77) *

U. W. Clemon Uriah W. Clemon (born April 9, 1943) is an Alabama attorney in private practice and a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. He was among the first ten African-American lawyers ...

(1968),

United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama The United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama (in case citations, N.D. Ala.) is a federal court in the Eleventh Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are a ...

(1980–2009), Chief Judge(1999–2006) * Lawrence K. Karlton (1958),

United States District Court for the Eastern District of California The United States District Court for the Eastern District of California (in case citations, E.D. Cal.) is a federal court in the Ninth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appe ...

;

(1983–90), Judge (1979–), senior status (2000–) * Richard G. Seeborg,

United States District Court for the Northern District of California The United States District Court for the Northern District of California (in case citations, N.D. Cal.) is the federal United States district court whose jurisdiction comprises the following counties of California: Alameda, Contra Costa, De ...

(2009–) *

John Foster Symes John Foster Symes (February 10, 1878 – April 5, 1951) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. Education and career Born in Denver, Colorado, Symes received a Bachelor of Philosophy ...

(1903),

United States District Court for the District of Colorado The United States District Court for the District of Colorado (in case citations, D. Colo. or D. Col.) is a federal court in the Tenth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are a ...

(1922–51) *

Alexander Holtzoff Alexander Holtzoff (November 7, 1886 – September 6, 1969) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Education and career Born in New York City, Holtzoff received an Artium Baccalaure ...

(1911),

United States District Court for the District of Columbia The United States District Court for the District of Columbia (in case citations, D.D.C.) is a United States district court, federal district court in Washington, D.C. Along with the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii and ...

(1945–67) * Richard W. Roberts (1978),

(1998–) *

Beryl A. Howell Beryl Alaine Howell (born December 3, 1956) is an American attorney and jurist who serves as a senior United States district judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She was appointed to the District of Columbia federal co ...

(1983), nominee,

(2010) * Alexander Harvey II (1950),

United States District Court for the District of Maryland The United States District Court for the District of Maryland (in case citations, D. Md.) is the United States district court, federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Maryland. Appeals from the District of Maryland are taken ...

(1966–) * Nathaniel M. Gorton (1966),

United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts The United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts (in case citations, D. Mass.) is the United States district court, federal district court whose Jurisdiction (area), territorial jurisdiction is the Commonwealth (U.S. state), C ...

(1992–) * Denise Page Hood (1977),

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (in case citations, E.D. Mich.) is the United States district court, federal district court with jurisdiction over the eastern half of the Lower Peninsula of the State of M ...

* Joseph Cross,

United States District Court for the District of New Jersey The United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (in case citations, D.N.J.) is a federal court in the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Third Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. gover ...

(1905–13) * Dickinson Richards Debevoise (1951),

(1979–) *

Walter Herbert Rice Walter Herbert Rice (born May 27, 1937) is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. Education and career Rice was born in Pittsburgh. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from ...

(JD/MBA 1962),

United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio The United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio (in case citations, S.D. Ohio) is one of two United States district courts in Ohio and includes forty-eight of the state's eighty-eight counties—everything from the Columbus, Oh ...

; Chief Judge (1996–2003), judge (1980–), senior status (2004–) * Anita B. Brody (1958),

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (in case citations, E.D. Pa.) is one of the original 13 federal judiciary districts created by the Judiciary Act of 1789. It originally sat in Independence Hall in Philad ...

(1992–) * Ira Lloyd Letts (1917),

(1928–35) * Harry B. Anderson (1904),

United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee The United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee (in case citations, W.D. Tenn.) is the federal district court covering the western part of the state of Tennessee. Appeals from the Western District of Tennessee are taken to ...

(1926–35) *

Lynn Adelman Lynn Steven Adelman (born October 1, 1939) is an American lawyer and former politician. He has served as a United States district judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin since December 1997. Prior to becom ...

(1965),

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin (in case citations, E.D. Wis.) is a federal trial court of limited jurisdiction. The court is under the auspices of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ...

(1997–) * James Edward Doyle (1940),

United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin The United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin (in case citations, W.D. Wis.) is a federal court in the Seventh Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are ...

(1965–87); Chief judge (1978–80)

=Other federal courts

= * Robert Gerber (1970),

United States Bankruptcy Court United States bankruptcy courts are courts created under Article I of the United States Constitution. The current system of bankruptcy courts was created by the United States Congress in 1978, effective April 1, 1984. United States bankruptcy ...

for the

Southern District of New York The Southern District of New York is a federal judicial district that encompasses the counties of New York (Manhattan), Bronx, Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Dutchess, and Sullivan. Federal offices or agencies operating in the distri ...

, presiding over 2009

General Motors bankruptcy The 2009 General Motors Chapter 11 sale of the assets of automobile manufacturer General Motors and some of its subsidiaries was implemented through Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code in the United States bankruptcy court for the Southern D ...

and other major bankruptcies *

Timothy M. Reif Timothy Mark Reif (born April 12, 1959) is a United States judge of the United States Court of International Trade. Education Reif earned his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Public Administration from Princeton University, where he was named ...

(1985),

United States Court of International Trade The United States Court of International Trade (case citations: Ct. Int'l Trade), or CIT, is a U.S. federal court that adjudicates civil actions arising out of U.S. customs and international trade laws. Seated in Lower Manhattan, New York City, ...

(2019–) *

(1948), former

United States Tax Court The United States Tax Court (in case citations, T.C.) is a Federal judiciary of the United States, federal trial court court of record, of record established by US Congress, Congress under Article One of the United States Constitution, Article ...

(1957–65) *

Sumner L. Trussell Sumner Lincoln Trussell (October 29, 1860 – October 22, 1931) was a judge of the United States Board of Tax Appeals (later the United States Tax Court) from 1924 until his death in 1931. Born in Champlin, Minnesota, Trussell received a B.A. fr ...

, judge of the

United States Board of Tax Appeals The United States Tax Court (in case citations, T.C.) is a federal trial court of record established by Congress under Article I of the U.S. Constitution, section 8 of which provides (in part) that the Congress has the power to "constitute ...

Norman H. Wolfe Norman H. Wolfe (born 1928) is a former Special Trial Judge of the United States Tax Court. Born in New York, Wolfe attended public school in Maplewood, New Jersey and graduated from Columbia High School in 1946.

(1953), Special Trial Judge in the

(1985–?) * Vanzetta Penn McPherson (1974), United States Magistrate Judge, Middle District of Alabama (1992–2006)

Legislative branch

=Senators

= * Alva B. Adams (1899),

United States Senator The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...

from

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

(1923–24, 1933–41) * Johnson N. Camden Jr., senator from

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

(1914–15) * Clifford P. Case (1928), senator (1955–79) from

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

* LeBaron B. Colt (1870), senator from

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

(1913–24) *

Slade Gorton Thomas Slade Gorton III (January 8, 1928 – August 19, 2020) was an American lawyer and politician from Washington. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a member of the United States Senate from 1981 to 1987, and again from 1989 to ...

(1953), senator from

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

(1981–87;1989–2001) * Frederick Hale (1896–97), senator from

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

(1917–41) *

Lister Hill Joseph Lister Hill (December 27, 1894 – December 20, 1984) was an American attorney and Democratic Party politician who represented Alabama in the United States House of Representatives from 1923 to 1938 and the United States Senate from 1938 ...

(left 1915), senator (1938–69) from

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

* John Kean (1875), senator from New Jersey (1899–1911)John Kean
''

Biographical Directory of the United States Congress The ''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress'' (Bioguide) is a biographical dictionary of all present and former members of the United States Congress and its predecessor, the Continental Congress. Also included are Delegates fr ...

''. Retrieved August 29, 2007. *

Richard C. Hunter Richard Charles Hunter (December 3, 1884 – January 23, 1941) was an American attorney and Democratic politician from Nebraska. He was most prominent for his service as a United States Senator (1934–1935) and as Nebraska's state attorney gen ...

(1911), senator from

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

(1934–35) * Luke Lea (1903), senator from Tennessee (1911–17) * Thomas E. Martin (LL.M. 1928), senator (1955–61) from Iowa *

(1946), senator from Iowa (1961–73) * Dwight Morrow (1898?), senator from New Jersey (1930–31) * Wayne Morse (S.J.D. 1932), senator from Oregon (1945–69) * Frank C. Partridge (1864), senator from Vermont (1930–31) * John Patton Jr. (1877), senator from Michigan (1894–95) * Howard Alexander Smith (1908), senator from New Jersey (1944–59) *

(1954), senator from Florida (1975–80) * Arthur Vivian Watkins, senator from New York (1947–59) * George P. Wetmore (1869), senator from

(1895–1907; 1908–13) * Harrison A. Williams (1948), senator (1959–82) from New Jersey

=Representatives

= * Bella Abzug, United States House of Representatives, congresswoman from New York (state), New York (1971–77) and leader of the women's movement * John J. Adams, congressman from New York (1883–85;1885–87) * Homer D. Angell (1903), United States House of Representatives, Congressman from Oregon (1939–55) * Martin C. Ansorge (1906), congressman from New York (1921–23) * Edward Basset (1886), congressman from New York (1903–05); founding father, modern urban planning; developed "freeway" and "parkway" concepts * Perry Belmont (1876), congressman from New York (1880–88) * Loring Black, congressman from New York (1923–35) * Robert William Bonynge (1885), congressman from

(1904–09) * Frank T. Bow, congressman from Ohio (1951–72) * Lloyd Bryce, congressman from New York (1887–89) * John F. Carew (B.A. 1893, LL.M. 1896), congressman from New York (1913–29) * Clifford P. Case (1928), congressman (1945–53) and senator (1955–79) from

* Emanuel Celler (1912), congressman from New York (1923–73) * Alexander Gilmore Cochran, congressman from Pennsylvania (1875–77) * Frederic René Coudert, Jr. (1922), congressman from New York (1947–59) * Robert Crosser (transferred), congressman from Ohio (1913–19, 1923–55) * Colgate Darden (1923), congressman from Virginia (1933–37, 1939–41), Governor of Virginia (1942–46), chancellor of the College of William and Mary (1946–47), president of the University of Virginia (1947–59); namesake of the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration * P. Henry Dugro, Philip Henry Dugro (1878), congressman from New York (1881–83) * Charles T. Dunwell (1874), congressman from New York (1903–08) * Sidney A. Fine (1926), congressman from New York (1951–56) * Hamilton Fish II (1873), congressman from New York (1909–11) * Ashbel P. Fitch, congressman from New York (1887–93) * Frank T. Fitzgerald (1876), congressman from New York (1889) * Wallace T. Foote, Jr., congressman from New York (1895–99) * George E. Foss (attended), congressman from Illinois (1895–1913; 1915–19) * Samuel Fowler (1851–1919), Samuel Fowler unspecified, represented

's New Jersey's 4th congressional district, 4th congressional district as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative from 1889 to 1893. Built and operated Cape Cod Canal * Jaime Fuster (LL.M. 1966), U.S. representative from Puerto Rico's at large district (1985–92) * Ralph A. Gamble (1912), congressman from New York (1937–45; 1945–53; 1953–57) * Fred Benjamin Gernerd (1924), congressman from Pennsylvania (1921–23) * James R. Grover, Jr. (1949), congressman from New York (1963–75) * Ralph W. Gwinn (1908), congressman from New York (1945–59) * Thomas Hedge (1869), congressman from Iowa (1899–1907) * Lewis Henry (1911), congressman from New York (1922–23) *

(left 1915), congressman (1923–38) and senator (1938–69) from

* Theodore Gaillard Hunt, congressman from Louisiana (1853–55) * Hamilton C. Jones (1907), congressman from North Carolina (1947–53) * John Kean (1875), senator and congressman from

(1899–1911) * Theodore R. Kupferman, congressman from New York (1966–69) * George P. Lawrence, congressman from Massachusetts (1898–1913) * John J. Lentz (1883), congressman from Ohio (1897–1901) * Montague Lessler (1889), congressman from New York (1902–03) * Marcus C. Lisle, congressman from

(1893–94) * Washington J. McCormick (1910), congressman from Montana (1921–23) * John McKeon (1828), congressman from New York (1835–37, 1841–43) * Roy H. McVicker (1950), congressman from

(1965–67) * Thomas E. Martin (LL.M. 1928), senator (1955–61), congressman (1939–55) from Iowa * Mitchell May (LL.M. 1892) congressman from New York (1899–1901) * Schuyler Merritt (1876), congressman from Connecticut (1917–31; 1933–37) * Brad Miller (congressman) (1979), congressman from North Carolina (2003–13) * J. Van Vechten Olcott (1877), congressman from New York (1905–11) * William Claiborne Owens (1872), congressman from

(1895–97) * Richard W. Parker (1869), congressman from

(1895–1903; 1903–11; 1914–19; 1921–23) * Thomas G. Patten (1880–82), congressman from New York (1911–17) * William Walter Phelps (1863), congressman from

(1873–75; 1883–89) * Philip J. Philbin (1929), congressman from Massachusetts (1943–76) * Otis G. Pike (1948), congressman from New York (1961–79) * Henry Jarvis Raymond (1871), congressman from New York (1865–67); Lieutenant Governor of New York (1854–56); founder of ''The New York Times'' * Edward Everett Robbins (1884), congressman from Pennsylvania (1897–99; 1917–19) * William Fitts Ryan (1949), congressman from New York (1961–72) * James Scheuer (1948), congressman from New York (1965–93) * Townsend Scudder (1888), congressman from New York (1899–1901; 1903–05) * John F. Seiberling (1949), congressman from Ohio (1971–87) * Eugene Siler (attended), congressman from

(1955–63, 1963–65) * Percy Hamilton Stewart (1893), congressman from

(1931–33) * Jessie Sumner (studied at the Law School), congresswoman from Illinois (1939–47) * Edward Swann (1886), congressman from New York (in 57th U.S. Congress); New York County District Attorney (1916–21) * James W. Symington (1954), congressman from Missouri (1969–77) * Charles Phelps Taft (1864), congressman from Ohio (1895–97); editor of the Cincinnati Times-Star; owner, Chicago Cubs (1914–16) * Benjamin I. Taylor (1899), congressman from New York (1913–15) * John A. Thayer, congressman from Massachusetts (1911–13) * J. Mayhew Wainwright (1886), congressman from New York (1923–31) * William C. Wallace (1876), congressman from New York (1889–91) * Charles Weltner (1950), congressman from Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia (1963–67), John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award * Harrison A. Williams (1948), congressman (1953–57) and senator (1959–82) from

* Francis H. Wilson (1875), congressman from New York (1895–97) * Herbert Zelenko (1928), congressman from New York (1955–63)

=Other Legislative Branch Officials

= * Herbert Putnam (1884), Librarian of Congress

United States diplomats

* Anthony Luzzatto Gardner, U.S. Ambassador to the European Union (present) * William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor, U.S. Minister (diplomacy), Minister to Italy, statesman, philanthropist * Perry Belmont (1876), U.S. Ambassador to Spain (1888–89); United States House of Representatives, congressman from New York (1880–88) * Lloyd Bryce, U.S. Minister plenipotentiary to the Netherlands (1911–13) * Charles Chaille-Long, U.S. Consul General and Secretary to delegation in Korea; soldier, explorer * Reuben Clark, United States Ambassador to Mexico (1930–33) *

(1905), U.S. Ambassador to Thailand (1953–54), World War I hero, head of the Office of Strategic Services, OSS during World War II * Abram Isaac Elkus, appointed by Woodrow Wilson to be the United States Ambassador to Turkey, United States Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in Constantinople (1916–17) * Makila James, nominee, U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Swaziland (2012–) *

(1764), helped to fashion American foreign policy, U.S. Minister (ambassador) to Spain and France; the Jay Treaty * Hallett Johnson (1912), ambassador to Costa Rica * Jay Lefkowitz, President

's Special Envoy for Human Rights in North Korea * Charles MacVeagh (1883), U.S. Ambassador to Japan (1925–28) *

(1999), nominee, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Iraq (2012–) * David E. Mark, United States Ambassador to Burundi, U.S. Ambassador to Burundi (1974–77); career Minister, serving in South Korea, Germany, Moscow; helped Georgian language, Georgians write their Constitution * Vilma Socorro Martínez, first woman to serve as United States Ambassador to Argentina (2009–)
* Henry Morgenthau, Sr., U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire (1913–16) * Dwight Morrow (1898?), U.S. Ambassador to Mexico (1927–30) * Covey T. Oliver (S.J.D. 1953), United States Ambassador to Colombia (1964–66) * Frank C. Partridge (LL.B. 1884), United States Minister to Venezuela (1893–94), consul general at Tangier, Morocco (1897–98) * William Walter Phelps (1863), U.S. Ambassador to Austria-Hungary (1881–82), Germany (1889–93) *

(1897), Headed American Commission to Negotiate Peace (1919) * Stephen Rapp, United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues in the Office of Global Criminal Justice (2009–) * Mitchell Reiss, former Director of Policy Planning at U.S. State Department under Secretary Colin Powell (2003–05); U.S. Special Envoy to Ireland with diplomatic rank of Ambassador (stepped down in 2007); Chief negotiator for the United States in the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization * Julissa Reynoso (2001), United States Ambassador to Uruguay (2011–) * John Wallace Riddle (1890), United States Ambassador to Russia, U.S. Ambassador to Russia (1907–09); United States Ambassador to Argentina, Argentina (1922–25) * Eugene Schuyler (1863), first American diplomat to visit Central Asia, first U.S. Minister to Romania and Serbia, also U.S. Minister to Greece * David S. Smith, U.S. Ambassador to Sweden (1976–77) * Laurence A. Steinhardt (LL.B. 1915), United States Ambassador to the Soviet Union, U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union (1939–41); United States Ambassador to Turkey, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey (1942–45); United States Ambassador to Czechoslovakia, U.S. Ambassador to Czechoslovakia (1945–48); United States Ambassador to Sweden, U.S. Ambassador to Sweden (1933–37); United States Ambassador to Peru, U.S. Ambassador to Peru (1937–39); United States Ambassador to Canada, U.S. Ambassador to Canada (1948–50) * Oscar S. Straus (1873), thrice U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire (1909–10; 1898–99; 1887–89) *

(1915), the U.S. President's Personal Representative for Cuban Refugees (1960–61) in the administration of President

* Edward T. Wailes (1927), U.S. Ambassador to Iran (1958–61), Czechoslovakia (1961–62), Hungary (1956–57), South Africa * Lawrence Edward Walsh (1935), Ambassador, U.S. Delegation, Paris Peace Talks (1969) * Paul Warnke (1948), Chief Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, SALT Negotiator under President Jimmy Carter and Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (1976–78), helped negotiate the unratified SALT II agreement with the former Soviet Union * H. Walter Webb, U.S. Ambassador to Brazil * Nugroho Wisnumurti—(J.D. 1973) President, United Nations Security Council (August 1995 and November 1996); Ambassador/Permanent Representative of the Republic of Indonesia to the United Nations (1992–97); Indonesia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Other Organizations in Geneva (2000–04);

Military

(Wild Bill)—(LL.B.) World War I, World War II hero; only person to receive

, Distinguished Service Cross (United States), Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army), Distinguished Service Medal (3), and National Security Medal; also recipient of Silver Star, Purple Heart (2), and International Rescue Committee, IRC's

* Ira C. Eaker—(studied law) Congressional Gold Medal; four-star rank, four-star general, United States Army Air Forces during World War II; architect, strategic bombing force * Benjamin Kaplan—(LL.B. 1933) while a lieutenant colonel in U.S. Army during World War II, "one of the principal architects"David Childs
"Benjamin Kaplan: Judge who played a crucial role in preparations for the Nuremberg trials"
''The Independent'', September 10, 2010. of the Nuremberg trialsBruce Weber
"Benjamin Kaplan, Crucial Figure in Nazi Trials, Dies at 99"
(Obituary), ''The New York Times'', 2010/08/24. * Philip Kearny—(LL.B. 1833) Brigadier general (United States), Brigadier General, United States Army, U.S. Army; notable for his leadership in the Mexican–American War and American Civil War, Civil War * Charles Coudert Nast—(LL.B. 1927) Attorney and U.S. Army major general * John Watts de Peyster—(studied law) Major general (United States), Major general during the American Civil War; author on the art of war, one of the first military critics * John Watts de Peyster, Jr.—(studied law) Brigadier general (United States), Brigadier General; Union Army officer during the American Civil War * Rudolph Douglas Raiford—(J.D.) decorated African-American World War II combat officer who trained and commanded the 92nd Infantry Division (United States), Infantry Buffalo Division in Italy * LaRue L. Robinson—(2009) African-American officer and trial lawyer in the Judge Advocate General's Corps, United States Army during the War on Terror; also Truman National Security Project Fellow who is cited in Terror and Consent * Richard Whitehead Young (LL.B. 1884) Brigadier general (United States), Brigadier General; in

led Utah Light Artillery in Philippines; in World War I led a U.S. artillery brigade in France

Miscellaneous United States government

* Zainab Ahmad (2005), Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; member of the 2017 Special Counsel for the United States Department of Justice team * David M. Becker (1973), General Counsel, Senior Policy Director, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) (2009–11); General Counsel, SEC (2000–02) * Richard Ben-Veniste (1967), federal prosecutor (1968–73); Chief, Watergate Task Force of the Special Prosecutor's Office (1973–75); member, 9/11 Commission (2002–04) * Moe Berg (1930), spy,

(OSS), able to speak 12 languages; light-hitting catcher, Brooklyn Robins (1923), Chicago White Sox (1926–30), Cleveland Indians (1931, 34), Washington Senators (1901–60), Washington Senators (1932–34) and Boston Red Sox (1935–39); according to Casey Stengel, "the strangest man ever to play Major League Baseball" * Preet Bharara (1993), U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York (2009–); Time Magazine's 2012 "100 Most Influential People in the World" * Frank Blake (1976), General Counsel,

, Deputy Counsel to Vice-President George H. W. Bush * Walker Blaine (1878), former official in the United States Department of State; Legal Adviser of the Department of State, Solicitor of the Department of State *

, head, Criminal Division, United States Department of Justice in administration of President

* Edward Bruce (New Deal) (1904), appointed by

as Director of Public Works of Art Project and Section of Painting and Sculpture, New Deal projects * George Canellos (1989), regional director,

's New York Office (2009–) * Sheila C. Cheston (1984), former General Counsel, United States Air Force (1995–98) * Tristram J. Coffin, Tristram Coffin (1989), U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont, United States Attorney for the District of Vermont (2009–) * Roy Cohn (1947), anti-communist attorney; an influential aide to Senator Joseph McCarthy; active in espionage trial of Julius Rosenberg, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg * Mathias F. Correa (1934), United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York (1941–43) *

(1908), United States Attorney for the Western District of New York, World War I hero (

) * Jose W. Fernandez, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs, United States Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs (2009–) *

(1953), member, 9/11 Commission *

(1976), United States Attorney for the District of Columbia * Bill Lann Lee (1974), Assistant Attorney General of the United States for Civil Rights (1997–2001) * Russell Cornell Leffingwell (1902), Assistant United States Secretary of the Treasury; led (1944–53) and president (1944–46), Council of Foreign Relations * Jonathan Meyer (1992), General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (2021–2024) *

, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York (1953–57) * Irvin B. Nathan, Attorney General of the District of Columbia, General Counsel of the United States House of Representatives * Shirah Neiman (1968), deputy U.S. attorney and chief counsel U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York * Rudolph Douglas Raiford, first African American Chief of Labor Relations, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development * Barbara Ringer (1949), first female Register of Copyrights, United States Copyright Office (1973–80); key contributor to preparation and passage of Copyright Act of 1976 * George L. Rives (B.A. 1868, LL.M. 1873),

(1887–89) * Benito Romano (J.D. 1976), first Puerto Rican to serve as United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York (on an interim basis) *

(1963), United States Attorney for the District of Columbia; in Watergate scandal, Special Prosecutor who investigated President

; represented Anita Hill during the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination and confirmation hearings in the Senate; defended President

in the Impeachment of Bill Clinton, 1999 impeachment proceedings * Richard G. Seeborg, United States Attorney for the Northern District of California (1991–98) * Whitney North Seymour (1923), Assistant

(1931–33) * Andrew J. Shapiro (1994), Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, United States Department of State (2009–); senior adviser, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton * Charles H. Tuttle—(LL.B. 1902) United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York (1927–30) * Donald Verrilli (1983), Associate Deputy Attorney General of the United States in the administration of President

(2009–11) * David Vladeck (1976), Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection,

(2009–) * Lawrence Edward Walsh, Lawrence E. Walsh (1935), Independent Prosecutor for the Iran-Contra Affair, Trustee of Columbia University * Paul Warnke, Assistant Secretary of Defense, International Security Affairs (1967–69); General Counsel, United States Secretary of Defense under President Lyndon Johnson * Charles Warren (U.S. author) (S.J.D. 1933), Assistant Attorney General of the United States (1914–18), drafted Espionage Act of 1917 *

(1974), first female United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York (1993–2002) * Edward Baldwin Whitney, Assistant Attorney General of the United States

State government

=Governors

= * Steve Bullock (Montana), Steve Bullock (1994), 24th Governor of Montana (2013–); Montana Department of Justice, Attorney General of Montana (2009–13) * Doyle E. Carlton (1902), 25th Governor of Florida (1929–33) * Colgate Darden (1923), 54th Governor of Virginia (1942–46), U.S. congressman from Virginia (1933–37, 1939–41); chancellor, College of William and Mary (1946–47); president, University of Virginia (1947–59); namesake of the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration * Gray Davis (1967), 37th Governor of California (1999–2003), Lieutenant Governor (1995–99) California State Controller (1987–95) * Westmoreland Davis (1886), 48th Governor of Virginia (1918–22) * Thomas E. Dewey (1925), 47th

(1942–55), New York County District Attorney, Manhattan District Attorney (1937–42), and Republican Party (United States), Republican nominee for President of the United States (1944, 1948), name partner of New York law firm Dewey Ballantine * Horace F. Graham, 56th Governor of Vermont (1917–19) *

(1884), 36th

(1907); professor, Cornell Law School, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (1910–16), Republican nominee for President of the United States (1916), United States Secretary of State (1921–29), and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (1930–41) *

(1764), second

* Ruby Laffoon (attended), 43rd Governor of Kentucky (1931–35) * John W. King (1943), 71st Governor of New Hampshire (1963–69) * Robert Baumle Meyner (1933), 44th Governor of New Jersey (1952–62) * George Pataki (1970), 63rd

(1994–2006) * George P. Wetmore (1869), 37th Governor of Rhode Island * Horace White (attended), 37th

and Lieutenant Governor

=State Attorneys General

= * Dean Alfange (1925), Deputy New York State Attorney General; founding member of the Liberal Party of New York * Daniel P. Baldwin (1860), Indiana Attorney General (1880–1882) * Margery Bronster (1982), Hawaii Attorney General (1995–99) * Steve Bullock (Montana), Steve Bullock (1994), Attorney General of Montana (2009–13) * Samuel P. Colt (1876), Attorney General of Rhode Island (1882–?) * Herbert F. DeSimone (1954), Attorney General of Rhode Island and Assistant Secretary of Transportation *

(1953), Washington Attorney General (1969–81), former U.S. Senator from Washington * Theodore E. Hancock (1873), New York State Attorney General (1894–98) * Peter C. Harvey (1982), first African American to serve as Attorney General of New Jersey (2003–06) *

(1911), Attorney General of Nebraska (1937–39), former U.S. Senator from Nebraska * Julius Marshuetz Mayer, New York State Attorney General (1905–06) * Robert H. McCarter (1882), Attorney General of New Jersey (1903–08) * Thomas N. McCarter, Attorney General of New Jersey (1902–03) * John T. McDonough (1861), New York State Attorney General (1899–1902) * Richard M. Milburn, Attorney General of Indiana (January 1915-November 1915) * Irvin B. Nathan (1967), former Attorney General of the District of Columbia; former General Counsel, United States House of Representatives; Abscam lawyer for House * Edmund Wilson, Sr., Attorney General of New Jersey (1908–14)

=State judges, politicians and others

= * Sheila Abdus-Salaam (1977), judge,

(the highest court in the State of New York) (2013–2017), first African American woman on Court; Justice, Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First Judicial Department (2009–2013) * William Shankland Andrews (1882), judge,

(1917–28), where he dissented from several opinions by noted fellow judge and Columbia Law graduate Benjamin Cardozo * Charles D. Breitel, Chief Judge,

(1974–78) * Benjamin Cardozo (1889–91), Chief Judge and judge

; Associate Justice, U.S. Supreme Court; namesake of Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law * William N. Cohen (1881), Justice, New York Supreme Court * Frederick E. Crane, former Chief Judge and judge,

* Leo C. Dessar (1870), member of the New York State Assembly (1875), District Court judge (1884–1887) * Justin Fairfax (2005), 41st Lieutenant Governor of Virginia * Edward R. Finch (1898), former judge,

* Ralph Adam Fine, judge, Wisconsin Court of Appeals (1988–) * James Greeley Flanders (1869), former member of the Wisconsin State Assembly * Alfred Frankenthaler (1903), former judge, New York Supreme Court *

, Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (the highest court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts) * Stanley Fuld (1926), former Chief Judge and judge,

*John Manning Hall (1868), speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives (1882), president pro tempore of the Connecticut State Senate (1889), and Connecticut Superior Court judge (1889–1893) * William B. Hornblower (1875), former judge,

* Roderick L. Ireland (1969), Chief Justice, (2010–), Associate Justice (1997–10), Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court; 1st African-American Chief Justice, Massachusetts high court * Benjamin Kaplan, Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (1972–8) and later on the Massachusetts Appeals Court. * Frank S. Katzenbach, Associate Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court (the highest court in the State of New Jersey) * Edward Kent, Jr. (1887), the final Chief Justice of the Arizona Territorial Supreme Court * Walter M. D. Kern (1962), politician who served in the

New Jersey General Assembly, General Assembly from 1978 to 1990, where he represented the 40th Legislative District (New Jersey), 40th Legislative District. * Randall B. Kester (1940), Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court (the highest court in the state of Oregon) (1957–58) * John W. King, John King, Chief Justice (1981–86)and Justice (1979–81), New Hampshire Supreme Court (the highest court in the State of New Hampshire) * Charles J. Kurth (1862–1896), lawyer and member of the New York State Assembly * Edgar J. Lauer (1891), former Justice, New York Supreme Court * Irving Lehman (1897), former Chief Judge and judge,

* George Z. Medalie (1907), former judge,

* Lindsey Miller-Lerman (1973), Justice, Nebraska Supreme Court (the highest Court in the State of Nebraska) (1998–), former judge, Nebraska State Court of Appeals * Flemming L. Norcott, Jr. (B.A. 1965, J.D. 1968), Associate Justice, Connecticut Supreme Court (1992–); Associate Fellow, Calhoun College, Yale University * James E.C. Perry (1972), Justice of the Florida Supreme Court (the highest court in the State of Florida) (2009–) * Jenny Rivera (judge), Jennifer Rivera (LL.M. 1993), judge,

(2013–) * Thomas G. Saylor (1972), Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (the highest court in the State of Pennsylvania) (1997–) * Calvert Spensley (1869), member of the Wisconsin State Senate (1893–96) * Aron Steuer (LL.B. 1923), Justice of the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department * Theodore L. Stiles (1872), was one of the first Justices of the Washington Supreme Court (the highest court in the State of Washington) (1889–95) * Robert S. Smith (1968), judge,

(2003–) * Arthur T. Vanderbilt, Chief Justice, New Jersey Supreme Court (1948–57) *

(attended), Associate Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court (the highest court in the State of Alabama) (1914–36) * John Webb (jurist), Associate Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court (the highest court in the state in State of North Carolina) (1986–98) * Charles Weltner (1950), Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia (U.S. state), Supreme Court of Georgia (the highest court in the U.S. state of Georgia) (1981–92) * Robert Wilentz, Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court (1979–96) * Peter Woodbury, Associate Justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court (the highest court in the State of New Hampshire) (1933–41) * Rolando Acosta, Rolando T. Acosta (1982), Justice of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First Judicial Department (2008–) * Richard Andrias (1970), Justice of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First Judicial Department (2008–) * Matthew Boxer, the first New Jersey State Comptroller. * Albert Burstein, member of the New Jersey General Assembly. * Lewis Stuyvesant Chanler (LL.B. 1891), Lieutenant Governor of New York (1907–08) * John Watts de Peyster (studied at the Law School), Brevet (military), Brevet Major General in the New York Militia * John Watts de Peyster, Jr. (studied at the Law School) Brevet (military), Brevet Brigadier General in the New York Militia * Hamilton Fish II (1873), Speaker of the New York State Assembly (1895–96) * Luis A. Gonzalez (judge), Luis A. Gonzalez (1975), Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First Judicial Department (2009–), Justice (2002–09) * Priscilla Hall (1973), Justice of the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department (2009–) * George Landon Ingraham (1869), Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First Judicial Department (1910–15), Justice (1896–1910) * Almet Francis Jenks (1877), Presiding Justice of the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, Second Judicial Department (1911–12, 1912–21), Justice (1905–11) * Steve Kelley (politician), Steve Kelley, former Minnesota state senator, Minnesota House of Representatives, currently Director of the Center for Science, Technology, and Public Policy at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota * Rory Lancman, member of the New York City Council, representing the 24th Council District since 2014. Former member of the New York State Assembly. * Benjamin M. Lawsky (B.A., J.D.), first Superintendent, New York State Department of Financial Services (2011–); investigated Standard Chartered * Edward Lazansky (B.A. 1985, J.D. 1897), Justice of the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division (1926–43); Secretary of State of New York (1911–12) * Ben McAdams (2003), rising Utah state senator * Angela Mazzarelli (1971), Justice of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First Judicial Department (1994–) * Karla Moskowitz (1966), Justice of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First Judicial Department (2008–) * Edgar J. Nathan (1916), Borough president#Manhattan Borough Presidents, Manhattan Borough President and Judge of the New York Supreme Court * Charles J. O'Byrne (1984), Chief of Staff, Secretary to the

David Paterson (2008) * Eric T. Washington (1979),

(2005–), District of Columbia Court of Appeals (the highest court in the District of Columbia) (1999–)

City and county government

* Charles d'Autremont (1875), former mayor of Duluth, Minnesota * Hugh H. Bownes (1948), former mayor of Laconia, New Hampshire * Michael A. Cardozo (1966), corporation counsel of New York City (2002–present) * James Dickson Carr (1896), Assistant District Attorney, Manhattan, New York County (1899–1901) * Maurice E. Connolly, Borough president of Queens, New York, U.S.A. (1911–28) *Charles L. Craig (1872–1935), New York City Comptroller * Rocky Delgadillo (1986), Los Angeles City Attorney, City Attorney of Los Angeles; first Latino in over 100 years to be elected citywide in Los Angeles * Thomas Dewey (1925), former Manhattan District Attorney * William Henry Eustis (1874), Mayor of Minneapolis (1893–95) * Thomas Gulotta (1969) County Executive of Nassau County, New York (1987–2001) * Hugh J. Grant, mayor of New York City (1889–92, two terms); remains youngest mayor in the city's history * Rudolph Halley (1933), former President of the New York City Council * Walter Foxcroft Hawkins (1886), former mayor of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Pittsfield, the largest city and traditional county seat of Massachusetts' Berkshire County, Massachusetts, Berkshire County * Frank S. Katzenbach, former mayor of Trenton, New Jersey; justice, New Jersey Supreme Court * George Latimer (Minnesota politician), mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota (1976–90); regent of the University of Minnesota * Charles Meeker, mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina (2001–current) *

(1946), first African American female, Manhattan Borough President (1964–66); attorney, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (1946–64) * De Lancey Nicoll (1876) New York County District Attorney (1891–93) * William M.K. Olcott, New York County District Attorney (1897–98) * George Pataki (1970), former mayor of Peekskill, New York (state), New York; former governor of New York * Eugene A. Philbin (1885), New York County District Attorney (1899–1901) * Robert Price (attorney), Deputy Mayor of New York City under John Lindsay * Louise Renne (1961), former mayor San Francisco (1978–86); first female City Attorney, City and County of San Francisco (1978–01) * Janette Sadik-Khan, current Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation (2007–) * Percy Hamilton Stewart (1893), former mayor of Plainfield, New Jersey * Andrew H. Warren (2002), State Attorney of Florida's 13th Judicial Circuit, Hillsborough County, Florida, Hillsborough County (2017–22) * Terence M. Zaleski, first Mayor-council government, strong-mayor of the city of Yonkers since World War II (1992–95)

Non-U.S. government

Prominent political figures

* William Pike Hall, Sr. (Class of 1922, 1896–1945), Louisiana State Senate, Louisiana state senator for Caddo Parish, Louisiana, Caddo and DeSoto Parish, Louisiana, DeSoto parishes, 1924 to 1932, Shreveport, Louisiana, Shreveport attorney * Giuliano Amato (LL.M. 1963), twice Prime Minister of Italy (2000–01; 1992–93), twice Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs (Secretary of State) (2001 and 1992), Minister of the Exchequer and Deputy Prime Minister (1987–89), Italian Minister of the Interior (2006–08), President of the Council of Ministers of Italy (2000–01; 1992–93), Minister for Institutional Reforms (1998–99), Minister of the Exchequer, Budget and Economic Programming (1999–2000), member of the Italian Senate (2001–06), member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies (2006–08; 1993–94), Vice President of the Convention on the Future of Europe (2001–03) * Mikhail Saakashvili (LL.M. 1994), third President, Georgia (country), Georgia (2005–present), former Minister of Justice * Dionysia-Theodora Avgerinopoulou (J.S.D. 2011) member, Hellenic Parliament since the 2009 legislative election * Radhika Coomaraswamy, appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan as Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Under Secretary-General, Special Representative, Children and Armed Conflict (2006) * Kim Hyun-jong (J.D. 1985), former South Korean Minister for Trade (cabinet) in the administration of Roh Moo-hyun, President Roh Moo-hyun (2004–07); former South Korean Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations (2007–09) * Francesco Paolo Fulci (LL.M.), Italian Diplomat, former Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations (1993–99) * Marvic Leonen, Marvic Mario Victor F. Leonen (LL.M.), Chief Peace Negotiator for the Republic of the Philippines (2010–12) * Sean Lien (LL.M.), current member of the Central Standing Committee of the Kuomintang, the current ruling party in Taiwan * Daryl Mundis, senior trial attorney, International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia at The Hague * Jim Peterson (LL.M.), Canadian retired politician, former Minister of International Trade (Canada), Minister of International Trade (cabinet) (2003–06), Secretary of State (sub-cabinet) (1997–2007), Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of Canada (1988–2007; 1981–83) * Lorrin A. Thurston (LL.B.), Kingdom of Hawaii Minister of Interior (1887–90) * Ronald Duterte (LL.M.), former Mayor of Cebu City, Philippines (1983–86)

Prominent judicial figures

* Salahuddin Ahmad (LL.M. 1970), Attorney General of Bangladesh (2008–09) * Mark MacGuigan (LL.M., J.S.D.), Attorney General of Canada, also Minister of Justice (Canada), Canadian Minister of Justice (1982–84); Secretary of State for External Affairs (Canada), Canadian Secretary of State for External Affairs (1980–82) * Githu Muigai (LL.M. 1986), current Attorney General, Kenya (August 2011–) * Susan Denham (LL.M.), Chief Justice (2011–), Associate Justice (1992–2011), Supreme Court of Ireland, first female Chief Justice; longest-serving member of court * George Moe (LL.M.), Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Belize (1982–85); Justice, Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (1985–91) * Hironobu Takesaki (LL.M. 1971), 17th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan (the highest court in the country of Japan) (2008–) * Umu Hawa Tejan-Jalloh (LL.M.), Chief Justice (2008–), Associate Justice (2002–08), Supreme Court of Sierra Leone * Giuliano Amato (LL.M.), member, Constitutional Court of Italy (2013–) * Joaquim Barbosa (visiting scholar, CLS, 1999, 2000), Supreme Federal Court#President and Vice President, Chief Justice of Brazil (2012–); only black Supreme Federal Court justice minister in Brazil * Karin Maria Bruzelius (LL.M. 1969), Justice, Supreme Court of Sweden (the highest court in the country of Sweden) (1997–); Swedish people, Swedish Under Secretary of State (the first woman to hold such a position) (1989–97), Swedish people, Swedish Deputy

(1979–83) * Jan Schans Christensen (LL.M. 1988), Associate Justice, Supreme Court of Denmark (2013–) * Lawrence Collins, Baron Collins of Mapesbury (LL.M.), former member, Supreme Court of the United Kingdom (2009–11); Lord of Appeal in Ordinary (2009); Lord Justice of Appeal (2007–09); Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (see the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, Privy Council) (February 2007–); judge, High Court of England and Wales (2000) * Jaime Fuster (LL.M. 1966), Associate Justice, Supreme Court of Puerto Rico (the highest court of the island) (1992–2007) * Marvic Leonen, Marvic Mario Victor F. Leonen (LL.M. 2004), Associate Justice, Supreme Court of the Philippines (the country's highest court) (2012–) * Liana Fiol Matta (LL.M., S.J.D.), second woman in Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican history to serve as Associate Justice, Supreme Court of Puerto Rico (as of 2011) * John T. McDonough (LL.B. 1861), appointed by President

as Associate Justice, Supreme Court of the Philippines (the country's highest court) * Francis M. Ssekandi (LL.M.), former Justice, Supreme Court of Uganda (the highest court in the country of Uganda); Judge, World Bank WBAT, Administrative Tribunal (2007–) * Richard Whitehead Young (LL.B. 1884), appointed by President William McKinley as Associate Justice, Supreme Court of the Philippines; a

Brigadier General (United States), Brigadier General * Shi Jiuyong (LL.M. 1951), former president, U.N. International Court of Justice (2003–10); former chairman, International Law Commission * Xue Hanqin (LL.M. 1983, J.S.D. 1995), Judge, U.N. International Court of Justice (2010–); Chinese diplomat and international law expert * V. K. Wellington Koo (Phd. 1912), International Court of Justice (1956–67) *

, Judge, Permanent Court of International Justice in The Hague, The Netherlands (1928–30) * Ernest Howard Crosby (LL.B.), Judge in First Instance, Alexandria, Egypt (1887–89) * Rocky Pollack, Canadian Judge, member of the Manitoba Securities Commission (2002–06)

Academia

University presidents

* Carmen Twillie Ambar (1994), president, Cedar Crest College (2008–present); former head (2002–07) and dean (2007–08), Douglass College (former New Jersey College for Women) (independent college from 1918 to 2007) * Penelope (Penny) Andrews (LL.M. 1984), Albany Law School's 17th president & dean (effective July 1, 2012–) * Lee Bollinger (1971), president, University of Michigan (1996–2002); president,

(2002–present); professor (1973–94) and dean (1987–94), University of Michigan Law School; provost, Dartmouth College (1994–96); chair, Federal Reserve Bank of New York (2011) * Colin G. Campbell, 13th president, Wesleyan University * Colgate Darden (1923), president, College of William and Mary (1946–47); president, University of Virginia (1947–59); namesake of the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration; congressman from Virginia (1933–37, 1939–41); Governor of Virginia (1942–46) * Ellen V. Futter (1974), president, Barnard College (1980–93); president, American Museum of Natural History * E. Gordon Gee (1971), president, West Virginia University (1981–85), University of Colorado at Boulder (1985–90), Ohio State University (1990–97), Brown University (1997–2000), Vanderbilt University (2000–07), and Ohio State University (2007–present) * Frank Johnson Goodnow (1882), first president, Johns Hopkins University * Samuel Hoi, president, Otis College of Art and Design (2000–) * Stuart Rabinowitz, eight president, Hofstra University (2000–present), former Hofstra School of Law dean. * George R. Johnson, Jr. (1976), ninth president, LeMoyne-Owen College * George Latimer (Minnesota politician), regent, University of Minnesota * Samuel Laws, president, University of Missouri (1876–89); president, Westminster College, Missouri (1854–61) * Frank Macchiarola, Chancellor (2008–), president (1996–2008), St. Francis College * Ronald Mason, Jr. (1977), president, Southern University System (2010–); former president, Jackson State University; President Barack Obama, Obama's Board of Advisers on HBCU's * Barry Mills (college president), Barry Mills (1979), president, Bowdoin College (2001–present) * Emanuel Rackman (1910–2008), Modern Orthodox Judaism, Modern Orthodox rabbi; President of Bar-Ilan University * Mitchell Reiss (J.D.), 27th president of Washington College (2010–) * Frederick G. Slabach (LL.M.), president, Texas Wesleyan University (January 1, 2011–) * Michael I. Sovern (1955), president,

(1980–93); professor (1957–present) and dean (1970–79), Columbia Law School; chairman, Sotheby's (2002–present) * Hiram F. Stevens (1874), one of the five founders of William Mitchell College of Law * Ethelbert Dudley Warfield (1885), president, Miami University, Lafayette College, and Wilson College (Pennsylvania), Wilson College; director, Princeton Theological Seminary. * Norman Adrian Wiggins (LL.M., S.J.D.), Chancellor and president, Campbell University, Campbell College (subsequently Campbell University) (1967–2003) * Phillip Williams (1977), president, McNeese State University (2010–); former president, University of Montevallo (2006–10)

Legal academia

* Fionnuala Ní Aoláin (LL.M.), Northern Ireland professor of law, University of Ulster, specializing in human rights law * Penelope Andrews (LL.M.), dean of Albany Law School; professor of law, South African constitutional law * Nina Appel (1959), legal scholar and first female dean of Loyola Law School * Donna Arzt (LL.M.) longtime professor of law, Syracuse University College of Law, human rights law, Director of the Center for Global Law and Practice * John F. Banzhaf III (1965), professor and practitioner of public interest law, George Washington University School of Law * Mark Barnes (LL.M.), expert on healthcare law, public health, managed care law, and law and medicine * Barbara Aronstein Black (1955), first women to head an Ivy League law school; professor and dean, Columbia Law; contracts and legal history * Lee Bollinger (1971), dean (1987–94), professor (1973–94), University of Michigan Law School; Provost of Dartmouth College (1994–96); President, University of Michigan (1996–02); President,

(2002–); defendant in the Supreme Court case ''Grutter v. Bollinger'' (2003); scholar of First Amendment to the United States Constitution, First Amendment and freedom of speech * Lea Brilmayer (LL.M.), Howard M. Holtzmann Professor of International Law,

* Alexandra Carter (negotiator), Alexandra Carter, clinical law professor, mediator, media personality, negotiation trainer and author * Alta Charo (1982), professor of Law and Bioethics, University of Wisconsin–Madison; appointments in both Wisconsin's law and medical schools * Felix S. Cohen (1931), expert on Native American law, legal philosopher; professor,

; early proponent of legal realism * Morris L. Cohen (1951), "one of the nation's most influential legal librarians" and professor of law, University of Pennsylvania, Harvard Law School, Yale Law School * Lawrence Collins, Baron Collins of Mapesbury, Lawrence Collins (LL.M.), co-author of standard reference work on conflict of laws (since 1987); author, many other books, articles on private international law; English judge * Robert Cover (1968), professor, Columbia Law (1971–72) and

(1972–86); scholar of history, philosophy, literature, and law * Brainerd Currie (LL.M.), noted for his work in conflict of laws and for his creation of the concept of Characterization (conflict)#Exclusion of the foreign law, governmental interests analysis; dean, University of Pittsburgh School of Law; professor, University of Chicago Law School, Duke Law School; considered the poet laureate of law professors; namesake of annual Brainerd Currie Memorial Lecture * Eduardo De Los Angeles (1970), dean and professor of law, Ateneo Law School (Philippines); President, Philippine Stock Exchange * Paul Demaret (LL.M.), Rector, College of Europe (Bruges, Belgium), Director of Legal Studies; former professor, University of Liège * Donald L. Drakeman, Fellow, Judge Business School, Cambridge University; former faculty member, Princeton University (courses and seminars on U. S. civil liberties) * Samuel Estreicher (B.A. 1970, J.D. 1975), Dwight D. Opperman Professor of Law, New York University School of Law, director of its Center for Labor and Employment * Nathan Feinsinger (Law, post-graduate study); expert, labor law; professor, University of Wisconsin Law School, arbitrated a number of national labor disputes * Robert Isaac Field, expert in many areas of health care law and regulation * Claire Finkelstein, professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School * Edward Foley (lawyer), Edward Foley, theorist of the Blue shift (politics), blue shift and former Solicitor General of Ohio, Ohio Solicitor General * Marvin E. Frankel (1948), professor, Columbia Law, federal judge, partner at Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel (1983–2002) *

(1960), professor, Harvard Law (1961–87, 1989–95, 1999–present), United States Solicitor General, U.S. Solicitor General (1985–89) * E. Allan Farnsworth (1952), expert on the law of contracts and professor, Columbia Law (1952–2004) * Michael Geist, Canadian legal academic in internet and E-Commerce law at the University of Ottawa *

, first women on both Columbia and Harvard Law Reviews; professor, Rutgers School of Law–Newark; first women granted tenure, Columbia Law; co-founded Women's Rights Law Reporter; Associate Justice, United States Supreme Court *

(1965), professor, Columbia Law and expert on securities law * Paul Goldstein (law professor), Paul Goldstein (1967), professor, Stanford Law School and expert copyright law * Lino Graglia (1954), professor, University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas specializing in antitrust litigation; critic of affirmative action, racial quotas, and some aspects of judicial review; failed nomination,

(1963), professor, Columbia Law; Fellow, Clare Hall, Cambridge, Clare Hall, Cambridge University (1972–73); Fellow, All Souls College, Oxford University (1979); main interests legal philosophy, civil rights; former Deputy Solicitor General of the United States * Jack Greenberg (lawyer), Jack Greenberg (1948), dean (1989–93), professor (1984–), Columbia Law; Presidential Citizens Medal; counsel & second President, Director-Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (1949–84), in which capacity he argued ''Brown v. Board of Education'' (1954); argued 40 civil rights cases before the U.S. Supreme Court * William Dameron Guthrie, legal educator and lawyer; Storrs Lecturer, Yale University; professor, Columbia Law; author of legal treatises * James C. Hathaway (LL.M., J.S.D.), legal scholar in the field of international refugee law * John D. Hawke, Jr. (1969), legal scholar in federal regulation of financial institutions, author of ''Commentaries on Banking Regulation'' (1985) * Alfred Hayes, Jr. (1889), professor, Cornell Law School (1907–17); Progressive Era advocate for

's Progressive Party (United States, 1912), Progressive Party and the Bull Moose initiative * Geoffrey C. Hazard, Jr. (1954), Sterling Professor, emeritus,

; Trustee Professor of Law, University of Pennsylvania Law School *

(1884), professor, Cornell Law School;

; Associate and Chief Justice,

* Huger Jervey, was dean (1924–28), Columbia Law (succeeded

), professor (1923 to 1949) * Yale Kamisar (1955), expert on criminal law and professor, University of Michigan Law School (1965–present) * Benjamin Kaplan (1933), Royall Professor of Law, emeritus, Harvard Law School, copyright scholar and jurist * Irving Kayton (LL.M., J.S.D.), former professor, George Washington University School of Law, expert on patent and copyright law * John Marshall Kernochan, law professor; founded Columbia Law's Kernochan Center for Law, Media and the Arts; pioneering work in intellectual property law * Sanford H. Kadish (1948), influential professor of Criminal Law, University of California, Berkeley * Marvic Leonen, Marvic Mario Victor F. Leonen (LL.M.), dean (2008–11), law professor, University of the Philippines College of Law * Howard Lesnick (LLB 1958), Jefferson B. Fordham Professor of Law Emeritus, University of Pennsylvania Law School *Victor Hao Li (J.D. 1964), Professor at Stanford Law School, President of East–West Center (1981–1990) * Jessica Litman, expert on copyright law, professor, University of Michigan Law School * Louis Lusky (1937), pioneer in field of civil rights law; former professor, Columbia Law * Gerard E. Lynch (1975), vice dean (1992–97), professor, Columbia Law; primary scholarly interests include criminal law and procedure, sentencing, and professional responsibility; judge,

(2009–) * Wendy Mariner, internationally recognized authority in health law, published more than 100 articles in the legal, medical and health policy literature *

(1912), professor, Columbia Law (1912–47); lawyer; judge, federal trial court ('47–51), federal appellate court ('51–80); cover of ''

'' magazine, 1949 * Soia Mentschikoff (1937), drafter, Uniform Commercial Code; first women to teach at Harvard Law School; dean, University of Miami School of Law * Alan C. Michaels (1986), dean, Ohio State University Moritz College of Law (2008–present) * Dorothy Miner (attorney), Dorothy Miner (1961), helped develop nationwide legal protections for historic landmarks, professor of law * Richard B. Morris, historian, legal scholar, best known for his pioneering work in colonial American legal history * Trevor Morrison (1998), dean, New York University School of Law (May 31, 2013–); Associate

, President

(2009–10) * Wayne Morse (J.S.D. 1932), dean and professor, University of Oregon School of Law *

, dean, Georgetown University Law Center; professor of law, leading scholar in the area of trade regulation; former chairman, U.S. Federal Trade Commission *

(LL.M. 1961), former dean and professor, Indiana University Maurer School of Law (1977–84) * Mitchell Reiss (J.D.), Vice-Provost of International Affairs and professor, William and Mary Law School * Lawrence Sager (1966), dean, University of Texas Law School (2006–present); longtime professor, New York University Law School; visiting professor, Harvard Law School, University of Michigan Law School, Princeton University; one of the nation's preeminent constitutional theorists and scholars * Rudolf Schlesinger (1942), professor, Cornell Law School, seminal work in comparative law * Whitney North Seymour (1923), professor,

and New York University, Assistant U.S. Solicitor General (1931–33) * Munroe Smith (1877), pioneering work in comparative jurisprudence, one of the founders of the Political Science Quarterly; dean, Columbia School of Engineering and Applied Science, School of Mines * Hans Smit (professor), Hans Smit (LL.B. 1958), professor at

, expert on international law * Michael I. Sovern (1955), dean (1970–79) and professor (1957–present), Columbia Law; President,

(1980–93); chairman, Sotheby's (2002–present), scholar of labor law; expert on employment discrimination * Stewart Sterk, professor, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, leading casebook on trusts and estates * Hiram F. Stevens (1874), first dean, William Mitchell College of Law; professor, University of Minnesota Law School * Clyde Wilson Summers (LL.M. 1946, S.J.D. 1952), professor,

(1956–75); professor, University of Pennsylvania Law School (1975–05); helped write Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act * Stanley S. Surrey (J.D. 1932), tax law scholar known as "a dean of the academic tax bar" and "the greatest tax scholar of his generation" * K. A. Taipale (LL.M.), lawyer, scholar, and social theorist specializing in information, technology, and national security policy * Paul Tappan (J.S.D. 1945), criminologist and Professor of Law and Criminology at the UC Berkeley School of Law * Arthur T. Vanderbilt, served for many years as the dean of the New York University School of Law, currently housed in a building that bears his name; on two separate occasions he declined to be considered for nominations to the United States Supreme Court; Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court (1948–57) * Judith Vladeck (1957), legal scholar, attorney; helped set new legal precedents against sex discrimination and age discrimination * Charles Warren (U.S. author), Charles Warren (1933), legal scholar, Pulitzer Prize for History (''Supreme Court in United States History'') * Amy Wax (J.D. 1987), Robert Mundheim Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School * Herbert Wechsler (1931), professor, Columbia Law (1933–78); director, American Law Institute (1963–84); argued in U.S. Supreme Court the seminal libel case ''New York Times v. Sullivan'' (1964); known for his constitutional law scholarship and creation of the Model Penal Code * Jack B. Weinstein, professor, Columbia Law (1952–98), author of a leading treatise on evidence; judge,

* Mark D. West (J.D. 1993), dean (2013–) and professor, University of Michigan Law School, widely published on subject of Japanese law and the Japanese legal system * Louis Westerfield (LL.M. 1980), professor and first African American dean, University of Mississippi School of Law (1994–96) * Steven Winter, Walter S. Gibbs Professor of Constitutional Law at Wayne State University Law School * George Winterton (J.S.D.), Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Sydney, University of New South Wales * Harold Wren (1921–2016), dean of three law schools

Arts and letters

* Charles Warren (U.S. author) (S.J.D.), Pulitzer Prize for History * John Kendrick Bangs (1883–84), writer and satirist associated with so-called "Bangsian fantasy" * Alfred Bester (dropped out), science fiction author, TV and radio scriptwriter, magazine editor, Hugo Award * Charles Chaille-Long (1880), writer, explorer of Africa, soldier * Da Chen, Chinese author; ''Brothers'' awarded best book of 2006 by Publishers Weekly and The Washington Post * Thomas Frederick Crane, American folklorist, academic at Cornell University, lawyer * Ernest Howard Crosby, author * John Watts de Peyster (studied at the Law School), author on the art of war, military history and biography; also published drama, poetry, military criticism * Bruce Ducker (1964), novelist, Pulitzer Prize nominated, Colorado Book Awards, Colorado Book Award * Freddie Gershon, published author of hugely successful roman à clef concerning the music industry (in the 1960s through the 1980s) * William Francis Gibbs (LL.B., M.A.), renowned naval architect * Martin Gottfried, critic, drama critic, columnist and author * Eddie Hayes (lawyer), memoirist * Arthur Garfield Hays (1905), author of numerous books and articles * Isaac Hollister Hall (1865), famed oriental studies, Orientalist and curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1885–96) * Thomas Hauser (1970), award-winning author; 1991 William Hill Sports Book of the Year; Pulitzer Prize nominated * William Ivins, Jr. (1907), curator of printmaking, prints at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1916–46), author * Speight Jenkins (1961), arts administrator, general director of the Seattle Opera (1983–) * Tudor Jenks (1880), author, poet, artist, editor, lawyer * Caroline Kennedy (1988), writer, editor, author of seven best selling books (including two on civil liberties), attorney; daughter of President

* John Marshall Kernochan, law professor, composer, and music publisher * Gustav Kobbe 1879, music critic and author, best known for his guide to opera, ''The Complete Opera Book'' * Hamilton Wright Mabie (1869), essayist, critic, and lecturer * Brander Matthews (1873), writer and educator, first U.S. professor of dramatic literature, Legion of Honor * Brad Meltzer (1996), New York Times best-selling novelist, DC Comics Identity Crisis (DC Comics), author, and co-creator of the television series ''Jack & Bobby'' * Duffield Osborne (1881), author * Edward Packard (writer), Edward Packard, children's author who developed the "choose your own adventure" style of storytelling * Isaac Rice (businessman), Isaac Rice (1880), author, inventor, and chess patron * James N. Rosenberg (1898). artist * Karenna Gore Schiff (2000), author, journalist, attorney, daughter of Vice-President of the United States, Vice-President Al Gore * Eugene Schuyler (1863), translator of Ivan Turgenev and Leo Tolstoi, writer, scholar * Paula Sharp, author, translator * Gerald Tomlinson, writer of mysteries and books on baseball and other topics * Arthur Dudley Vinton, author and lawyer * Manly Wade Wellman, writer, recipient of Edgar Allan Poe Award, among other awards * Daniel R. White (1979), lawyer, humorist, writer, editor; best known as the author of ''The Official Lawyer's Handbook'', a satire of the legal profession, and ''White's Law Dictionary'', a parody of Black's Law Dictionary * Charles Yu, writer; 2020 National Book Award winner (fiction) for Interior Chinatown, 2007 National Book Foundation "5 Under 35" Award; ''How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe, How to Live Safely'', runner up, 2011 Campbell Memorial Award."The John W. Campbell Memorial Award"
. The John Wayne and Elsie M. Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction. The University of Kansas. Updated July 11, 2011. Retrieved April 25, 2012.

Performing arts

* Suchindra Bali, Tamil people, Tamil actor * Leonard Cohen (1956–57), Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist * Wafah Dufour (LL.M.), singer/songwriter * Eric Eisner (lawyer), Eric Eisner (1973), lawyer, former president of The Geffen Company and founder of the Young Eisner Scholars program * Alonzo Elliot, composer and songwriter (studied with Nadia Boulanger and Leonard Bernstein, among others) * Oscar Hammerstein II², writer, producer, and director of musicals, awarded two Academy Awards, two Pulitzer Prizes, and nine Tony Awards * Hoyt Hilsman, screenwriter, playwright and critic * Howard Koch (screenwriter), blacklisted in the 1950s, work includes ''Casablanca'' (1942) (for which he received an Academy Award), ''The War of the Worlds'' (1936), ''Letter to an Unknown Woman'' (1948) * Robinne Lee, actress, ''Seven Pounds'' (2008) with Will Smith, ''Hav Plenty'' (1997), among other films * Rod MacDonald (1973), singer/songwriter * Abraham Polonsky (1935), Academy Award-nominated screenwriter blacklisted in the 1950s * Paul Robeson (1923), actor of stage and film, singer (opera, lieder, international folk music, spirituals), and writer; fluent or near fluent in 12 languages * Tom Rothman (1980), co-chairman and CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment * Nick Santora (1996), writer (The Sopranos, Law & Order), producer (Prison Break) and novelist * Franklin Schaffner (legal education interrupted by service during World War II), Academy Award-winning film director * Stephen Strimpell, actor of stage and film

Business and philanthropy

* Dan Abrams (1992), general manager of MSNBC; formerly chief legal correspondent for NBC News and host of The Abrams Report * William Waldorf Astor (1875), Anglo-American financier, son of John Jacob Astor, US Minister to Italy (1881–85) * Mark Attanasio (1982), investment banker and owner of the Milwaukee Brewers (since 2004, incumbent ) * Roland W. Betts (1978), investor, film producer, lead owner in

's Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers partnership (1989–98), and developer and owner of Chelsea Piers (1989–) * Douglas Black (publisher), Douglas Black (1918), president of Doubleday (publisher), Doubleday (1946–63) * Frank Blake (1976), CEO of Home Depot (2007–) * Bruce Buck (1970), chairman of Chelsea F.C. (2003–) * Stephen Carlton Clark (1907), Singer Sewing Machine heir, founder of the Baseball Hall of Fame and other Cooperstown, New York cultural institutions * Alan N. Cohen (1954), chairman, CEO, Madison Square Garden Corp. (1974–77); former principal owner, New Jersey Nets, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, New York Rangers * J. Barkclay Collins II (1969), general counsel for Hess Corporation (1984–present) * Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, President and CEO of Ferrari * Philippe Dauman (1978), president and CEO of Viacom (2005–present), Viacom, parent company of Paramount Pictures and MTV Networks * Bruce Davis (video game industry), Bruce Davis, CEO, chairman, Digimarc; formerly, head of Imagic and Activision; known for his role in development of video game industry * Lynn Forester de Rothschild, CEO of E L Rothschild (2002–) * Henry Clay Folger (1881), president of the Standard Oil Company (1911–23) and founder of the Folger Shakespeare Library * Theodore J. Forstmann, Ted Forstmann (1965), co-founder of Forstmann Little & Company, chairman and CEO of Gulfstream Aerospace (1990–99), and member of Forbes 400 (1998–2003) * George Griswold Frelinghuysen (1872), president of Ballantine Brewery, P. Ballantine & Sons Company * Stephen Friedman (PFIAB), Stephen Friedman (1962), chairman of Goldman Sachs (1990–94), director of the United States National Economic Council, National Economic Council (2002–05) * Charles Patrick Garcia, president of Sterling Hispanic Markets Capital Group; White House Fellow, chairman of the Board of Visitors of the United States Air Force Academy * Daniel Hunt Gilman (1877), attorney and railroad builder * Jerome L. Greene (1928), real estate investor and namesake of Columbia's main building, Jerome L. Greene Hall * Edward S. Harkness (1928)³, Standard Oil Company heir, donated funds used to construct Butler Library at Columbia and most of the undergraduate dormitories at Yale and Harvard, as well as to Phillips Exeter Academy * Fairfax Harrison (studied law), president, CEO of Southern Railway (U.S.), Southern Railway Company (1913–37) * David W. Heleniak (1974), vice-chairman of Morgan Stanley * Morton L. Janklow (1953), literary agent to Sidney Sheldon, Pope John Paul II, Danielle Steel,

, and J.K. Rowling * Michael Karlan (1992), founder of the nation's largest social and networking group, Professionals in the City *Mark N. Kaplan (1953), CEO of Drexel Burnham Lambert and Engelhard * Jerome Kohlberg, Jr. (1950), co-founder of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, member of the Forbes 400. * Orin Kramer (1970), chair of the

Pension fund, Pension Fund * Stephen M. Kravit, executive vice president, The Gersh Agency, formerly senior vice president, business affairs, Twentieth Century Fox *Harvey M. Krueger (1953), CEO of Kuhn, Loeb & Co. and vice chairman of Lehman Brothers and Barclays * James T. Lee (1899), prolific Manhattan real estate developer/magnate; grandfather of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis * Richard LeFrak (1970), billionaire real estate investor * H. F. Lenfest (1958), media proprietor and member of Forbes 400 (from 1999) * Randy Lerner (1987), chairman and CEO of MBNA (2002–05); owner, Cleveland Browns (2002–) and Aston Villa F.C., Aston Villa Football Club (2006–); member of Forbes 400 (since 2002)) *Francis Levien (1928), director of Gulf and Western Industries, namesake of Levien Gymnasium *

(1948), founding trustee, CEO, president, and chairman of the World Wildlife Fund * Michael Lynne (1964), president (1990–2001), co-CEO and co-chairman (since 2001, incumbent ) of New Line Cinema * Douglas H. McCorkindale (1964), CEO (since 2000, incumbent ) and chairman (since 2001, incumbent ) of Gannett Company, Gannett * Mark J. Penn, worldwide CEO, public relations firm Burson-Marsteller; president, polling firm Penn, Schoen & Berland, Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates * Tom Pollock, co-founder of The Montecito Picture Company, former chairman of Universal Pictures * Steven Price (businessman), Steven Price, co-founder of Townsquare Media, and minority owner of the Atlanta Hawks * Freeman Ransom, general manager of Madame C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company and civic leader * Bruce Ratner (1970), founder (1985), president, and CEO of Forest City Ratner; principal owner of the New Jersey Nets * Lawrence R. Riccardi (1965), general counsel of IBM (1995–2002) * Isaac Rice (businessman), Isaac Rice (1880), founded the Electric Boat Company, renamed itself the General Dynamics Corporation in 1952 * Tom Rogers (President and CEO of TiVo Inc.), Tom Rogers, president and CEO Tivo; former chairman and CEO of PRIMEDIA, Primedia Inc. * Thomas Rothman (1980), co-chair of Fox Filmed Entertainment * Herb Sandler, founder of Golden West Financial (1963), philanthropist, member of Forbes 400 (from 2003) * Moose Scheib, founder and Chief Executive Officer, CEO of LoanMod.com * Robert B. Shapiro (1962), CEO of Monsanto Company * Robert Shaye (1964), founder, chairman/co-chairman and CEO/co-CEO of New Line Cinema (since 1967, incumbent ) * Sid Sheinberg, president and COO of Music Corporation of America, MCA * James Sherwin (B.A. and J.D.), corporate executive and International Master in chess * Richard D. Simmons, president of the Washington Post, Washington Post Co. (1981–91) *Herbert M. Singer (1928), director of PepsiCo * David Stern (1966), commissioner of the National Basketball Association (since 1984, incumbent ) * Audrey Strauss (1982), chief legal officer of Alcoa * Todd Stitzer (1978), CEO Cadbury plc (incumbent as of 2009) * Franklin A. Thomas (1963), president of the Ford Foundation (1979–96) * S. Robson Walton (1969), chairman of Wal-mart (1992, incumbent ) and member of the Forbes 400 (since 1992) * Mark Weldon (New Zealand), Mark Weldon (1997), CEO of New Zealand Stock Exchange (2002–12) * Devin Wenig American business executive, currently the president and CEO of eBay. * H. Donald Wilson, database pioneer and entrepreneur, first president and one of the principal creators of Lexis.com, Lexis and Nexis * Buchanan Winthrop (1864), American philanthropist and descendant of Wait Winthrop and Joseph Dudley * Justin Woolverton (2009), co-founder and CEO of Halo Top Creamery

Journalism

* Dan Abrams (1992), media legal commentator * Poultney Bigelow, journalist and author * Dean Budnick (1990), journalist, filmmaker and author * Julius Chambers, F.R.G.S., New York journalist, investigative reporter, author, travel writer *

(1871), journalist, literary critic * Eddie Hayes (lawyer), Eddie Hayes, journalist, lawyer * Tudor Jenks (1880), journalist, editor, lawyer * Robert Krulwich (1974), media journalist, Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award, Emmy Award, George Polk Award * Henry Demarest Lloyd, referred to as "the father of investigative journalism" * Cynthia McFadden, ABC news anchor, George Foster Peabody Award * Matthew Miller (journalist) (1986), also columnist and author, ''The Two Percent Solution'' (among other works) * Victor Robinson (physician), Victor Robinson, medical journalist and physician * Karenna Gore Schiff (2000), journalist, author, lawyer * Alexander Simpson (politician), Alexander Simpson (attended), journalist, attorney * Cenk Uygur, Creator and Co-host of The Young Turks * H. Walter Webb, journalist

Private legal practice

* Alan J. Altheimer (1925), managing partner of Altheimer & Gray and former president of the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs * Naomi Biden (2020), associate at Arnold & Porter, granddaughter of U.S. President Joe Biden * Paul Drennan Cravath (1886), name partner of New York law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore (awarded first Municipal Law prize, and prize tutorship). * William Nelson Cromwell (1878), founder of New York law firm Sullivan & Cromwell. * George Davidson (attorney), George Davidson (1967), head of the Litigation Department of the New York law firm Hughes Hubbard & Reed. * Gerald Dickler (1933), name partner of Hall Dickler Kent Goldstein & Wood, Hall, Dickler, Kent, Friedman & Wood and former chairman of Pollock-Krasner Foundation * Leslie Fagen (1974), litigator; senior partner at the international law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. * Michael Furst (1878), lawyer * Marvin E. Frankel (1948), name partner in New York Law firm Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP, litigator, federal judge, professor at Columbia Law, legal scholar. * William Golub (1937), lawyer and advisor to Governor Nelson Rockefeller *Natasha Hausdorff (born 1989), British barrister, international news commentator, and Israel advocate * Arthur Garfield Hays (1905), prominent corporate litigator. * Eddie Hayes (lawyer), Ed Hayes (1972), defense attorney and Court TV anchor; basis for the character Tommy Killian in the Tom Wolfe novel ''The Bonfire of the Vanities.'' *

, one of founders of New York law firm Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP; from 1925 to 1930, he argued over 50 times before U.S. Supreme Court. * Roberta A. Kaplan (1991), litigator and partner of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, argued in ''United States v. Windsor'' *Benjamin Kaye (1907), lawyer, playwright, co-founder of Kaye Scholer *Arundhati Katju, (2017), lawyer and advocate at the Supreme Court of India, appeared in many LGBTQ cases in India * Caroline Kennedy (1988), daughter of President

; former candidate for U.S. Senator (New York). * Jeffrey L. Kessler, litigator; partner at the international law firm Winston & Strawn. *Ezra G. Levin (1959), name partner of Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel * Harvey R. Miller (1959), ''The New York Times'' called him "the most prominent bankruptcy lawyer in the nation." (March 9, 2007) * Ira Millstein (1949), antitrust expert, partner at Weil, Gotshal & Manges, longest-practicing partner in big law * Gary P. Naftalis (1967), co-chairman of New York law firm Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP. * Louis Nizer, noted trial attorney, senior partner of New York law firm Phillips Nizer LLP. * Karuna Nundy (2001), dual qualified lawyer, senior advocate at the Supreme court of India. * C. Allen Parker (1983), presiding partner of Cravath, Swaine & Moore. *

(1897), name partner of Davis Polk & Wardwell. * Charles Rembar (1938), best known as a First Amendment rights lawyer * Charles F.C. Ruff (1963), Washington, D.C., Washington attorney who represented Anita Hill and President

. * Isaac Shapiro (1956), of counsel of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, former president of Japan Society (Manhattan), Japan Society *Jonathan D. Schiller (1973), co-founder of Boies Schiller Flexner LLP * Whitney North Seymour (1923), president of the ABA; chairman of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. * Sidney B. Silverman, Lawyer, trial lawyer specializing in stockholder actions. * John W. Simpson (lawyer), John W. Simpson (1873), one of the founders of New York law firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. * David Sive (1948), pioneer in environmental law; founding partner, Sive, Paget & Riesel, PC. *John Slate (1938), name partner of Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom * John William Sterling (1867), founder of the New York law firm Shearman & Sterling; major donor to his undergraduate alma mater, Yale University; namesake of Yale's library, law building, and its most prestigious endowed chair. * Francis Lynde Stetson (1869), early leader of New York law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell. * Max Steuer (1893), one of the most effective American trial attorneys in the first half of the 20th century * Moses J. Stroock (1888), one of the founders of the law firm Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, Stroock & Stroock * Sol M. Stroock (1894), one of the founders of the law firm Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, Stroock & Stroock * Thomas Thacher (1873), one of founders of Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett. * Henry Waters Taft, one of the most notable lawyers in New York, brother of President William Howard Taft. * Samuel Untermyer (1878), prominent corporate lawyer and civic leader. * Frank Weil, Sylvan Gotshal, and Horace Manges, founders of New York law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges. * Louis S. Weiss, Simon H. Rifkind, and John F. Wharton (lawyer), John F. Wharton, name partners of New York law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison.

Religion

(1906), leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church); member, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church), Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (1934–61) * Bernard Hebda (1983), Catholic Church, Catholic Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis (incumbent as of 2016) * Charles J. O'Byrne (1984), former Catholic priest

Activism

* Bella Abzug (1947), social rights activist and a leader of the women's rights movement * Mark Barnes (LL.M. 1991), advocate for public healthcare law at the state and national levels, co-founded the first AIDS law clinic * Edward Bassett (1886), one of the founding fathers of modern-day urban planning * Lee Bollinger, advocate for affirmative action, defendant in ''Grutter v. Bollinger'' and ''Gratz v. Bollinger'' * Robert L. Carter (1941), civil rights activist, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund general counsel, in which capacity he argued ''Brown v. Board of Education II'' (1955) * Julius L. Chambers (LL.M. 1964), civil rights leader, attorney, and educator; third President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund * Felix S. Cohen, Felix Cohen (1928), advocate for Native Americans in the United States, Native American rights, fundamentally shaped federal Native American law and policy * Roy Cohn (1947), conservative lawyer who became famous during the investigations of Senator Joseph McCarthy into alleged Communists in the U.S. government * Robert Cover (1968), civil rights and international anti-violence activist, professor at Yale Law School * Albert DeSilver (1913), a founding member of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) * Edward Ennis (1932), chairman of the ACLU from 1969 to 1976 *

(1871), reformer, one of the principal reformers, New York State and the federal civil service systems; early president, American Suffrage Association * Marvin Frankel (1949), founder, Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, served as its chairman for many years; also helped establish sentencing guidelines for the United States federal courts, federal courts *

, women's rights advocate, co-founded the Women's Rights Law Reporter; co-authored the first law school casebook on sex discrimination; as chief litigator of the

's women's rights project, she argued six(?) cases before the

* Richard Gottfried, leading advocate for patient autonomy and for universal access to quality, affordable health care * Jack Greenberg (lawyer), Jack Greenberg (B.A. 1945, LL.B. 1948), second President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund; argued 40 civil rights cases before the

, including Brown v. Board of Education (1954) * Arthur Garfield Hays (1905), civil liberties activist, general counsel for the

, notable trials included Scopes Trial, trial of Sacco and Vanzetti, and Scottsboro case *

, one of the co-founders of the National Conference of Christians and Jews to oppose the Ku Klux Klan, anti-Catholicism, and anti-Semitism * Arundhati Katju (LL.M. 2017), has litigated many notable cases at the Supreme Court of India and the Delhi High Court, including the Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India, Section 377 case, which overturned Section 377, a colonial-era sodomy law in India which was used to criminalize homosexuality. * Caroline Kennedy (1988), principal fund raiser of private funds for the New York City Public school (government funded), public schools, co-founder of Profiles in Courage Award, a director of the Commission on Presidential Debates and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, one of three co-chairs of President-elect

's Vice Presidential Search Committee (2008), adviser to the Harvard Institute of Politics * John Marshall Kernochan, advocate for artists' intellectual property rights * William Kunstler (1948), civil rights and human rights activist, director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) (1964–72); co-founded the Center for Constitutional Rights * John Brooks Leavitt (1871), reformer, author * Peter Lehner, lawyer and environmentalist; executive director, Natural Resources Defense Council * Charles K. Lexow, first attorney for the Legal Aid Society of New York City; brother of Clarence Lexow (class of 1872) * Li Lu (1996), leader of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, Tiananmen Square Protests (1989), first student at Columbia to simultaneously receive Bachelor of Arts, B.A., M.B.A., and Juris Doctor, J.D. degrees * Louis Marshall (1876–77), mediation, mediator and Jewish community leader who worked to secure religious, political, and cultural freedom for all minority group, minority groups; conservation movement, conservationist * Vilma Socorro Martínez, served for almost ten years as president and general counsel of Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund * James Meredith (1968), American civil rights movement figure, first African American student at the University of Mississippi *

(1946), attorney for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (1945–64); Manhattan Borough president (1964–66); first African American woman appointed to the federal bench (1966–86) * Nancy Northup, President of the Center for Reproductive Rights * Marshall Perlin (1942), civil liberties lawyer, defended Soviet spies Julius and Ethel Rosenberg * Anika Rahman (1990), president and CEO, Ms. Foundation for Women (2/2011) * Paul Rapoport (1965), co-founder of the New York City Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Services Center and the Gay Men's Health Crisis * Michael Ratner (1969), human rights activist on national and international level, current president of the Center for Constitutional Rights (co-founded by William Kunstler in 1969), the National Law Journal named him as one of the 100 most influential lawyers in the United States (2006) * Isaac Rice (businessman), Isaac Rice, U.S. chess patron * Paul Robeson (1923), civil and human rights activist, international social justice activist, writer, Spingarn Medal * Menachem Z. Rosensaft (1979), a leader of the Second Generation Movement of children of Jewish survivors * Brad R. Roth (LL.M. 1992), social and human rights activist, critic of torture policies in the administration of

* Charles Ruthenberg (1909), founder of the Communist Party of America (1919) * Mikheil Saakashvili (LL.M. 1994), founder and leader of the United National Movement (Georgia), United National Movement in Georgia (country), leader of the bloodless "Rose Revolution" * Theodore Shaw, civil rights leader, attorney, and educator; former 5th President and Director-Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund * Clive Stafford Smith, British lawyer; recipient Gandhi International Peace Award (2005) for representing Guantanamo detainees and campaigning against extraordinary rendition * Cenk Uygur, activist, creator of online progressive network and host of The Young Turks (talk show), The Young Turks, founder of Wolf-PAC and Justice Democrats * Judith Vladeck (1947), civil rights advocate, particularly on behalf of women; helped set new legal precedents against sex discrimination and age discrimination * Charles Weltner (1950), advocate for racial equality, second individual to receive the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award *Maya Wiley (born 1964), civil rights activist and lawyer, 2021 New York City Democratic mayoral primary, 2021 mayoral candidate for New York City

Athletics

* Mario Ančić (LL.M. 2013), former Croatian professional tennis player * Mark Attanasio (1982), investment banker and owner of the Milwaukee Brewers (since 2004, incumbent ) * Lou Bender (1935), pioneer player with the Columbia Lions and in early pro basketball, who was later a successful trial attorney. * Moe Berg (1930), catcher for the Brooklyn Robins (1923), Chicago White Sox (1926–30), Cleveland Indians (1931, 1934), Washington Senators (1901–60), Washington Senators (1932–34) and Boston Red Sox (1935–39); able to speak 12 languages; spy for the Office of Strategic Services, OSS; according to Casey Stengel, "the strangest man ever to play Major League Baseball" * David Mark Berger (1970), winner of NCAA weightlifting title in the 148 pound-class, winner of the gold medal in the middleweight weight-lifting contest at the 1969 Maccabiah Games, winner of a silver medal at the 1971 Asian Games in weightlifting, and member of the 1972 Israeli Olympic team who was murdered during the Munich Massacre at the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics. * Roland W. Betts (1978), investor, film producer, lead owner in

's Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers partnership (1989–98), and developer and owner of Chelsea Piers (since 1989, incumbent ) * Nick Bravin (1998), Olympic fencer * Alan N. Cohen (1954), chairman and CEO of the Madison Square Garden Corporation (1974–77), principal owner of the New Jersey Nets, and principal owner of the Boston Celtics (1983–2004) * Caryn Davies (Class of 2013), American rower; gold medals, 2012 Summer Olympics and 2008 Summer Olympics; silver medal, 2004 Summer Olympics * Leo Fishel (1900), former pitcher in Major League Baseball * Stan Kasten (1976), President (2003–) of the MLB Washington Nationals; President (1986–2003) of the MLB Atlanta Braves; President (1986–2003) and General Manager (1979–90) of the National Basketball Association, NBA Atlanta Hawks; President (1999–2003) of the National Hockey League, NHL Atlanta Thrashers * Walter O'Malley (transferred from), owned the Los Angeles Dodgers, Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers team in Major League Baseball from 1950 to 1979 * Paul Robeson (1923), All-American Athlete * David Stern (1966), NBA Commissioner (1984–2014) * Marc Stern (1969), part-owner of the Milwaukee Brewers * John Montgomery Ward (1883), played baseball for the Providence Greys (1878–82), New York Giants (NL), New York Giants (1883–89, 1893–94), Brooklyn's Ward Wonders (1890) and Brooklyn Grooms (1890–91); president of the Boston Braves (baseball), Boston Braves (1911–12); advocate for player's rights; member of the Baseball Hall of Fame (1964) * Mark Weldon (New Zealand), Mark Weldon (1997), member of the New Zealand men's swim team at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona; CEO, New Zealand Exchange, New Zealand Stock Exchange; in 2007, rated 25th on New Zealand Listener Power List of the 50 most powerful people in New Zealand

Notes

¹ ''Studied law at Columbia University prior to the founding of the Law School.'' ² ''Failed to complete the law degree.'' ³ ''Received the LL.D.''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Columbia Law School Alumni Columbia Law School alumni, * Columbia University-related lists, Alumni, Law school Lists of people by university or college in New York City New York (state) law-related lists, Columbia Law School alumni