Eric T. Washington
Encyclopedia
Eric T. Washington is the Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals
, the highest appellate court for the District of Columbia.
Chief Judge Eric T. Washington, born in December 1953, was appointed to the D.C. Court of Appeals in 1999 by President
Bill Clinton
. The District of Columbia Judicial Nominations Commission designated Chief Judge Washington to serve a four-year term as Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals beginning on August 6, 2005.
Chief Judge Washington was born and raised in New Jersey
. He graduated in 1976 from Tufts University
and received his law degree from the Columbia University School of Law in 1979.
In 1979, Chief Judge Washington began his legal career with the law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski
in Houston, Texas
, where he engaged in a general labor and employment practice prior to relocating to Washington, D.C. to serve as Legislative Director and Counsel to U.S. Congressman Michael A. Andrews
of Texas. He subsequently rejoined Fulbright & Jaworski in Washington, D.C. prior to serving as Special Counsel to the Corporation Counsel (now Attorney General for the District of Columbia) and later as Principal Deputy Corporation Counsel
between 1987 and 1989. From January 1990 to May 1995, Chief Judge Washington was a partner in the law firm of Hogan & Hartson, which concluded with his 1995 appointment to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. As an Associate Judge in the Superior Court
, he presided over various criminal trials as well as cases from the Drug Court
, Domestic Violence Unit, tax and probate matters on certification from other judges, and cases involving children who were victims of abuse and neglect.
Chief Judge Washington previously served as co-chair of the Strategic Planning Leadership Council for the District of Columbia Courts and as a member of the Standing Committee on Fairness and Access to the Courts, as well as the Access to Justice Commission.
Chief Judge Washington has been active in many professional, civic and charitable organizations. He has served on several committees of the D.C. Bar, including the Criminal Justice Act/Counsel for Child Abuse and Neglect Committee, the Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary, and the Bar’s Nominating Committee. He also served as a member of the Steering Committee for the D.C. Affairs Sections of the Bar.
Chief Judge Washington presently serves on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington and the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Clubs Foundation. He formerly served on the Board of Directors for the Einstein Institute for Science, Health and the Courts and currently serves as chair of the Board of Directors of the Advanced Science and Technology Adjudication Standards, Credential and Accreditation Board.
District of Columbia Court of Appeals
The District of Columbia Court of Appeals is the highest court of the District of Columbia. Established by the United States Congress in 1970, it is equivalent to a state supreme court, except that its power derives from Article I of the U.S. Constitution rather than from the inherent sovereignty...
, the highest appellate court for the District of Columbia.
Chief Judge Eric T. Washington, born in December 1953, was appointed to the D.C. Court of Appeals in 1999 by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. The District of Columbia Judicial Nominations Commission designated Chief Judge Washington to serve a four-year term as Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals beginning on August 6, 2005.
Chief Judge Washington was born and raised in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. He graduated in 1976 from Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
and received his law degree from the Columbia University School of Law in 1979.
In 1979, Chief Judge Washington began his legal career with the law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski
Fulbright & Jaworski
The international law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. is one of the largest law firms in the United States with nearly 1,000 attorneys in over 50 practice areas. The firm was founded in Houston in 1919 by R. C. Fulbright, an attorney working in railway regulation, and J.H. Crooker, a litigator...
in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, where he engaged in a general labor and employment practice prior to relocating to Washington, D.C. to serve as Legislative Director and Counsel to U.S. Congressman Michael A. Andrews
Michael A. Andrews
Michael Allen Andrews was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas. He was elected as a Democrat to the 98th United States Congress and the five succeeding Congresses. He served from January 3, 1983, until January 3, 1995...
of Texas. He subsequently rejoined Fulbright & Jaworski in Washington, D.C. prior to serving as Special Counsel to the Corporation Counsel (now Attorney General for the District of Columbia) and later as Principal Deputy Corporation Counsel
Corporation Counsel
The Corporation Counsel is the title given to the chief legal officer in some municipal and county jurisdictions, who handles civil claims against the city, including negotiating settlements and defending the city when it is sued. Most corporation counsels do not prosecute criminal cases, though...
between 1987 and 1989. From January 1990 to May 1995, Chief Judge Washington was a partner in the law firm of Hogan & Hartson, which concluded with his 1995 appointment to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. As an Associate Judge in the Superior Court
Superior court
In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general competence which typically has unlimited jurisdiction with regard to civil and criminal legal cases...
, he presided over various criminal trials as well as cases from the Drug Court
Drug court
Drug Courts are judicially supervised court dockets that handle the cases of nonviolent substance abusing offenders under the adult, juvenile, family and tribal justice systems...
, Domestic Violence Unit, tax and probate matters on certification from other judges, and cases involving children who were victims of abuse and neglect.
Chief Judge Washington previously served as co-chair of the Strategic Planning Leadership Council for the District of Columbia Courts and as a member of the Standing Committee on Fairness and Access to the Courts, as well as the Access to Justice Commission.
Chief Judge Washington has been active in many professional, civic and charitable organizations. He has served on several committees of the D.C. Bar, including the Criminal Justice Act/Counsel for Child Abuse and Neglect Committee, the Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary, and the Bar’s Nominating Committee. He also served as a member of the Steering Committee for the D.C. Affairs Sections of the Bar.
Chief Judge Washington presently serves on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington and the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Clubs Foundation. He formerly served on the Board of Directors for the Einstein Institute for Science, Health and the Courts and currently serves as chair of the Board of Directors of the Advanced Science and Technology Adjudication Standards, Credential and Accreditation Board.