Merrick Garland

Merrick Brian Garland (born November 13, 1952) is an American federal judge and politician. Garland was the 86th United States Attorney General from 2021 to 2025 during the Joe Biden administration. He was the chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 2013 to 2020. He was on that court from 1997 until 2021 after being nominated by President Bill Clinton.

Merrick Garland
86th United States Attorney General
In office March 11, 2021 – January 20, 2025
President	Joe Biden
Deputy	John P. Carlin (acting) Lisa Monaco
Preceded by	William Barr
Succeeded by	Pam Bondi
Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
In office February 12, 2013 – February 11, 2020
Preceded by	David B. Sentelle
Succeeded by	Sri Srinivasan
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
In office March 20, 1997 – March 11, 2021
Appointed by	Bill Clinton
Preceded by	Abner J. Mikva
Succeeded by	Ketanji Brown Jackson
Personal details
Born	Merrick Brian Garland (1952-11-13) November 13, 1952 (age 73) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Spouse(s)	Lynn Rosenman ​ (m. 1987)​
Children	2 daughters
Education	Harvard University (BA, JD)

In 2016, Garland was nominated by President Barack Obama to the Supreme Court to replace Antonin Scalia following his death. However, in a Republican-controlled senate, a confirmation hearing was never held and his nomination expired on January 3, 2017. In January 2021, President-elect Joe Biden nominated Garland to be the United States Attorney General in his cabinet. He was confirmed by the United States Senate and sworn-in in March 2021.

Early life

Garland was born in Chicago, Illinois.^[1] He graduated from Harvard College and from Harvard Law School.

Judicial career

Garland practiced corporate litigation at Arnold & Porter and worked as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Department of Justice, where he played a leading role in the investigation and prosecution of the Oklahoma City bombers. In 1995, Garland was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and (following a delay in Senate confirmation) took the bench in 1997. In 2009 and 2010, Garland was considered by President Barack Obama for two openings on the Supreme Court.

Supreme Court nomination

On March 16, 2016, Obama nominated Garland to serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, to fill the vacancy created by the death of Antonin Scalia.^[2][3]

Garland has more federal judicial experience than any Supreme Court nominee in history.^[4] He is the oldest Supreme Court nominee since Lewis F. Powell, Jr. in 1971.^[5] After Republicans refused to give Garland a confirmation hearing, Garland's nomination expired in January 2017 shortly before the inauguration of Donald Trump. Trump said he will announce his Justice nominee for the Supreme Court on January 31, 2017.

United States Attorney General

2021

On January 6, 2021, then President-elect Joe Biden said that we would nominate Garland to be the United States Attorney General during his administration.^[6] On March 1, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 15‒7 to advance Garland's nomination to a full Senate vote.^[7] On March 10, the Senate confirmed Garland by a vote of 70‒30 to become the next Attorney General.^[8]

2024

On June 12, 2024, Merrick Garland was found guilty of contempt by the United States House of Representatives by a vote of 216‒207.^[9]

Personal life

Garland married Lynn in 1977. He lives in Bethesda, Maryland.