Jeffrey R. Howard


Jeffrey Robert Howard is the Chief United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

Biography

Howard graduated from Plymouth State College in 1978 with a Bachelor of Arts degree and he received a Juris Doctor from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1981. After law school, Howard was an attorney in the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office, rising to become Deputy Attorney General.

Political career

In 1989, he was appointed by Republican President George H.W. Bush to become United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire. In 1993, he left that position to become the New Hampshire Attorney General, nominated by Republican Governor Steve Merrill. He served as Attorney General until 1997, when he stepped down, allowing Democratic Governor Jeanne Shaheen to nominate Philip McLaughlin. After serving as attorney general, Howard went back to private practice.

Federal judicial service

In September 2001, Howard was nominated to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit by President George W. Bush. He was confirmed 99-0 by the United States Senate on April 23, 2002. He was Bush's only appointee to the First Circuit to be confirmed.