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White House Author

Eric Holder

Former Attorney General of the United States

Eric H. Holder, Jr. was sworn in as the 82nd Attorney General of the United States on February 3, 2009 by Vice President Joe Biden. President Barack Obama announced his intention to nominate Mr. Holder on December 1, 2008.

In 1997, Mr. Holder was named by President Clinton to be the Deputy Attorney General, the first African-American named to that post. Prior to that he served as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. In 1988, Mr. Holder was nominated by President Reagan to become an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

Mr. Holder, a native of New York City, attended public schools there, graduating from Stuyvesant High School where he earned a Regents Scholarship. He attended Columbia College, majored in American History, and graduated in 1973. He graduated from Columbia Law School in 1976.

While in law school, he clerked at the N.A.A.C.P. Legal Defense Fund and the Department of Justice's Criminal Division. Upon graduating, he moved to Washington and joined the Department of Justice as part of the Attorney General's Honors Program. He was assigned to the newly formed Public Integrity Section in 1976 and was tasked to investigate and prosecute official corruption on the local, state and federal levels.

Prior to becoming Attorney General, Mr. Holder was a litigation partner at Covington & Burling LLP in Washington.

Eric Holder's Posts

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Building Trust Between Law Enforcement and the Communities They Serve and Protect

Attorney General Eric Holder visits the Willie Mays Boys & Girls Club, where he spoke with a small group of local teenagers and a number of courageous police officers and academy recruits from the San Francisco Police Department.
February 9, 2015 at 6:48 PM ET

Following Through After Ferguson

Attorney General Eric Holder sends a message to the White House email list, giving an update on the Administration's next steps following the events in Ferguson, Missouri.
December 3, 2014 at 1:37 PM ET

Responding to Sexual Violence in Indian Country

Sexual violence is a devastating and pervasive problem throughout the nation, and its shocking prevalence on tribal lands is especially troubling. Particularly in recent years, the Department of Justice has made it a top priority to put an end to that unacceptable status quo.
November 18, 2014 at 11:10 AM ET

Celebrating Fatherhood and Encouraging Mentorship with “My Brother's Keeper”

Attorney General Eric Holder calls on Americans to get involved in “My Brother’s Keeper” –- the President's initiative that’s bringing together government and private groups to address persistent opportunity gaps and provide young people with the support they need to stay on the right path.
June 13, 2014 at 5:10 PM ET

50 Years Later, Our March Goes On

Eric Holder commemorates the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington
August 24, 2013 at 12:14 PM ET

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