Hot! Eric Holder

Eric Himpton Holder, Jr. (born January 21, 1951) is the 82nd and current African American to hold the position, serving under Barack Obama .

Holder previously served as a Deputy Attorney General of the United States and worked at the law firm of Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C. He was senior legal advisor to then-Senator Barack Obama during Obama's presidential campaign and one of three members of Obama's vice-presidential selection committee .

Early life Eric H. Holder, Jr. was born in the Bronx, New York, to parents with roots in Barbados . Holder's father, Eric Himpton Holder, Sr. (1905 1970) was born in Saint Joseph, Barbados and arrived in the United States at the age of 11. He later became a New Jersey , while his maternal grandparents were immigrants from Saint Philip, Barbados . In 1969, he graduated from Manhattan and attended Columbia University , where he played Columbia Law School , graduating in 1976. He worked for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund during his first summer and the during his second summer. Career After graduating from law school, Holder joined the Democratic Congressman John Jenrette for Abscam sting operation. In 1988, appointed Holder to serve as a of the . Deputy Attorney General In 1997, after the retirement of Jamie Gorelick , Clinton nominated Holder to be the Deputy Attorney General under Janet Reno . Holder was confirmed several months later in the Senate by a unanimous vote. During his confirmation hearing, Holder's opposition to the death penalty was questioned, but he pledged his intention to cooperate with the current laws and Reno, saying, "I am not a proponent of the death penalty, but I will enforce the law as this Congress gives it to us." Holder was the first African-American to serve in that position. Holder briefly served as Acting Attorney General under President George W. Bush until the Senate confirmed Bush's nominee John Ashcroft . Private practice From 2001 until he became Attorney General, Holder worked as an attorney at Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C., representing clients such as Merck and the National Football League . He represented the NFL during its dog fighting investigation against Michael Vick . Attorney General of the United States On December 1, 2008, Obama announced that Holder would be his nominee for Attorney General. He was formally nominated on January 20, 2009 and approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 28. Following his confirmation by the full Senate on February 2, 2009, he became the first African-American Attorney General of the United States. His installation took place on March 27, 2009 at the Lisner Auditorium of the George Washington University. Controversy Personal life Holder is married to Dr. Sharon Malone, an obstetrician ; the couple have three children. Malone's sister was , famous for her part in the which led to integration at the . Holder has been involved with various mentoring programs for inner-city youths. He is also an avid basketball fan. Awards In June 2009 the Government of Barbados announced that it would begin a project to determine the first 100 Great Barbadians which would be selected among the public of Barbados . At the announcement of the project it was announced that Eric Holder was the first candidate to be nominated toward the final list. References Further reading External links