Michael H. Simon
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Oregon
Assumed office
June 22, 2011
Appointed byBarack Obama
Preceded byAncer L. Haggerty
Personal details
Born
Michael Howard Simon

(1956-12-01) December 1, 1956 (age 67)
New York City, U.S.
SpouseSuzanne Bonamici
Children2
Parent(s)Danny Simon
Arlene Friedman
RelativesNeil Simon (uncle)
EducationUniversity of California, Los Angeles (B.A.)
Harvard Law School (J.D.)

Michael Howard Simon (born December 1, 1956) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Oregon.

Early life and education

Simon was born in New York City in 1956 into a Jewish American family. He was the older of two children born to Danny Simon and Arlene Friedman.[1] Simon's father was a television comedy writer, and his uncle Neil Simon was an acclaimed playwright.[2] Simon earned his Bachelor of Arts summa cum laude in 1978 from the University of California, Los Angeles and his Juris Doctor cum laude in 1981 from Harvard Law School.[3] He is married to Democratic U. S. Representative Suzanne Bonamici.[4][5]

Career

From 1981 until 1986, Simon served as a trial attorney at the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division, in Washington, D.C., where he handled both civil and criminal antitrust matters.[3] During his time with the DOJ, Simon also served in 1985 as a special assistant United States attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. In 1986, Simon joined the law firm of Perkins Coie, where he specialized in business litigation in both state and federal court and acted as head of litigation for the firm's Portland office. After becoming a partner with the firm in 1990, he handled several high-profile First Amendment cases on a pro bono basis.[3][5]

Federal judicial service

On July 14, 2010, President Barack Obama nominated Simon to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Oregon to fill the seat vacated by Judge Ancer L. Haggerty, who assumed senior status in August 2009.[6][7] Simon's nomination lapsed at the end of 2010, and Obama renominated him on January 5, 2011. On February 17, 2011, the Senate Judiciary Committee reported Simon's nomination to the full United States Senate by a 14–4 vote.[8] In his committee questionnaire, Simon encountered questions from Republican senators about his past work as a volunteer lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union.[9] On June 21, 2011, the United States Senate confirmed Simon by a 64–35 vote.[10] He received his commission on June 22, 2011.[5]

Notable rulings

On November 2, 2019, Simon issued a temporary restraining order against a Trump administration rule requiring immigrants prove they will have health insurance.[11]

On July 23, 2020, Simon issued a temporary restraining order preventing federal agents from using force against journalists and legal observers during the George Floyd protests in Portland, Oregon.[12][13]

See also

References

  1. ^ Neuhaus, Cable (June 27, 1983). "Comedy Writer Danny Simon Nurses An Old Wound—the Frustration of Being Neil Simon's Brother". People. Retrieved February 1, 2012.
  2. ^ Mapes, Jeff (May 27, 2011). "Suzanne Bonamici brings financial assets to potential congressional race". The Oregonian. Retrieved February 1, 2012.
  3. ^ a b c "President Obama Names Five to United States District Court | the White House". Archived from the original on 2012-03-23. Retrieved 2011-06-21.
  4. ^ Duin, Steve (August 6, 2011). "In the wake of David Wu case, accusations fly in Oregon's First District". The Oregonian. Retrieved February 1, 2012.
  5. ^ a b c Michael H. Simon at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  6. ^ "President Obama Names Five to United States District Court". whitehouse.gov. July 14, 2010. Archived from the original on 16 February 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2010 – via National Archives.
  7. ^ "Presidential Nominations and Withdrawal Sent to the Senate, 7/14/10 | the White House". Archived from the original on 2012-03-23. Retrieved 2011-06-21.
  8. ^ Justice, Alliance For (17 February 2011). "Justice Watch: Obama Nominates Two District Court Judges, Four Other Nominees Sent to the Senate Floor".
  9. ^ "Questions for the Record" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 4, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
  10. ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation Michael H. Simon, of Oregon, to be U.S. District Judge)". senate.gov.
  11. ^ "US judge blocks Trump's health insurance rule for immigrants". news.yahoo.com. November 3, 2019. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  12. ^ "Case No. 3:20-cv-1035-SI, Temporary Restraining Order Enjoining Federal Defendants" (PDF). aclu-or.org. July 23, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  13. ^ "Judge in Portland bars federal officers from arresting or using force against journalists and legal observers". cnn.com. July 23, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.

External links

Legal offices Preceded byAncer L. Haggerty Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Oregon 2011–present Incumbent
Active district judges of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
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