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Nicole Seligman (born 1957) is an American attorney and corporate director. She received national attention in the United States for her representation of Lieutenant Colonel
Oliver North Oliver Laurence North (born October 7, 1943) is an American political commentator, television host, military historian, author, and retired United States Marine Corps lieutenant colonel. A veteran of the Vietnam War, North was a National Sec ...
during the Iran–Contra hearings, and of
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
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, ...
during his impeachment trial. Seligman is a former executive vice president and general counsel of
Sony Corporation is a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (imaging and sensing), ...
and former president of
Sony Corporation of America Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA) is the American arm of Japanese multinational conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. Headquartered in New York City, the company manages Sony's business in the United States. Sony's princ ...
.


Early life and education

She earned a B.A., magna cum laude, from
Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...
( Radcliffe) in 1978, and, in 1983, a J.D., magna cum laude, from
Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest law school in continuous operation in the United ...
, where she edited the ''
Harvard Law Review The ''Harvard Law Review'' is a law review published by an independent student group at Harvard Law School. According to the ''Journal Citation Reports'', the ''Harvard Law Review''s 2015 impact factor of 4.979 placed the journal first out of ...
''. In between college and law school (1978–1980), she worked as associate editorial page editor for Hong Kong's ''Asian Wall Street Journal'' (1978–1980). After law school, she clerked for Judge Harry T. Edwards at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (1983-1984) and Justice
Thurgood Marshall Thoroughgood "Thurgood" Marshall (July 2, 1908 – January 24, 1993) was an American civil rights lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1967 until 1991. He was the Supreme C ...
on the
Supreme Court of the United States 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 Federal tribunals in the United States, U.S. federal court cases, and over Stat ...
(1984–1985).


Career

Seligman began her career in the private sector as a partner at Williams & Connolly in Washington, D.C. Only shortly after joining the firm, she was assigned to assist partner Brendan Sullivan in representing Lt. Col. North before Congressional hearing and at his trial. Eleven years later, her more senior partner, David Kendall, President Clinton's outside counsel, asked for her assistance. She appeared with Clinton when he testified before the grand jury in the Monica Lewinsky scandal, and she spoke on his behalf before the Senate at the
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 ...
.Marcus, Ruth.
Clinton's Least Known Lawyer.
November 18, 1999. Accessed November 26, 2006.
Her other clients at Williams & Connolly included large media organizations such as
CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
(in the Operation Tailwind matter), ABC, and occasionally the
National Enquirer The ''National Enquirer'' is an American tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1926, the newspaper has undergone a number of changes over the years. The ''National Enquirer'' openly acknowledges that it pays Source (journalism), sources for tips (chec ...
(which was primarily represented by Kendall).Franken, Bob.
Second female attorney argues for Clinton before Senate.
Accessed November 26, 2006.
In September 2001, she was recruited by
Howard Stringer Sir Howard Stringer (born 19 February 1942) is a Welsh-American businessman. He had a 30-year career at CBS, culminating in him serving as the president of CBS News from 1986 to 1988, then president of CBS from 1988 to 1995. He served as chairm ...
, CEO of
Sony Corporation of America Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA) is the American arm of Japanese multinational conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. Headquartered in New York City, the company manages Sony's business in the United States. Sony's princ ...
, to become an
executive 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 ...
and general counsel. In June 2003, she became corporate executive officer of the worldwide
Sony Corporation is a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (imaging and sensing), ...
. When Stringer became Sony Corporation CEO in June 2005, Seligman rose to become general counsel of that corporation, retaining the same role at SCA.Official Sony biography of Nicole Seligman.
Accessed November 26, 2006.
She became president of Sony Corporation of America on June 27, 2012. In 2013, the Council on CyberSecurity announced that Seligman is a member of the organization's advisory board. On February 18, 2016, it was announced that Seligman is stepping down from the positions of president of Sony Entertainment and Sony Corporation of America; In an internal memo to employees, it was stated that she would leave at the end of March. In March 2024, Seligman joined OpenAI's board of directors.


Personal life

She is married to Joel I. Klein, former
chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...
of the
New York City Department of Education The New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) is the department of the government of New York City that manages the city's public school system. The City School District of the City of New York (more commonly known as New York City Publ ...
and former U.S. Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division.New York Times: "In a Most Private Kennedy, a Lure of Public Duty" By DEBORAH SONTAG
January 18, 2009


See also

* List of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States (Seat 10)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seligman, Nicole 1957 births American corporate directors American women lawyers American law firm executives American women business executives Businesspeople from Washington, D.C. Harvard Law School alumni Law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States Living people Radcliffe College alumni Sony people Lawyers from Washington, D.C. 21st-century American women Members of the defense counsel for the impeachment trial of Bill Clinton