Merrick B. Garland: 86th Attorney General of the United States

Early Life and Education

Merrick Garland was born on November 13, 1952, in Chicago, Illinois. He attended Niles West High School in Skokie, Illinois, and graduated from Harvard College in 1974. He then attended Harvard Law School, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1977.

Legal Career

After graduating from law school, Garland clerked for Judge Henry Friendly of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and for Justice William Brennan of the United States Supreme Court. He then worked as a federal prosecutor in the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. In 1997, President Bill Clinton appointed Garland to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Supreme Court Nomination

In 2016, President Barack Obama nominated Garland to the Supreme Court of the United States. However, the Republican-controlled Senate refused to hold a hearing on his nomination, and Garland's nomination lapsed at the end of Obama's term.

Attorney General

In 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Garland to be the 86th Attorney General of the United States. Garland was confirmed by the Senate on March 10, 2021.