Douglas H. Ginsburg
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Douglas H. Ginsburg (born May 25,1946) is the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals in October 1986 by President Reagan. He became Chief Judge of the court on July 16, 2001.
In 1987, President Reagan nominated him to the United States Supreme Court to replace Lewis F. Powell, who was retiring. Reagan had first nominated Robert Bork, but he was not confirmed by the Senate. Ginsburg's nomination was also troubled. He was thought to be unqualified by some due to his inexperience on the federal bench. Then it became known that he had previously used marijuana. At the time, the War on Drugs and Just Say No anti-drug programs were at a peak, and Ginsburg's admission of past drug use was unacceptable to some. Secretary of Education William Bennett phoned him, urging him to withdraw his name. He withdrew, but remained on the Court of Appeals.
He attended Cornell University in 1964-1965 and then from 1968 to 1970, when he received his degree. His undergraduate education was interrupted when he started a business called Operation Match. It was a computer dating service. He graduated from the University of Chicago Law School in 1973. He was a clerk for US Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. From 1975 to 1983 he was a professor at Harvard Law School. From 1983 to 1986 he served in various positions within the Reagan administration. Ginsburg also coined the phrase Constitution in Exile, which refers to provisions limiting congressional authority that have not been strictly enforced since the 1930's
He married Claudia de Secundy on May 31, 1968. They had one daughter, Jessica de Secundy. They later divorced. He later married Dr. Hallee Morgan, an obstetrician. They met while he was a professor at Harvard Law School and she was a medical student. They have at least one child.