Abner Mikva

Abner Mikva
Born	Abner Joseph Mikva 1/21/1926
Birthplace	Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Died	7/4/2016 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, federal judge, legal scholar, White House Counsel
Known for	Serving in all three branches of the U.S. federal government; mentoring Barack Obama and Merrick Garland
Education	University of Chicago (JD)
Awards	Presidential Medal of Freedom (2014)

Abner Joseph Mikva (January 21, 1926 – July 4, 2016) was an American politician, federal judge, and legal scholar who achieved the rare distinction of serving in senior positions in all three branches of the United States federal government. A Democrat, Mikva represented Illinois in the United States House of Representatives for two separate stints. First he served Illinois's 2nd congressional district from 1969 to 1973, then the 10th congressional district from 1975 to 1979. President Jimmy Carter appointed him to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 1979, where he served as a federal judge for fifteen years and eventually became chief judge. Later he worked as White House Counsel to President Bill Clinton from 1994 to 1995. In his post-government years, Mikva taught at several law schools and became known for mentoring a generation of legal and political leaders, most notably future President Barack Obama and future Attorney General Merrick Garland. Obama awarded Mikva the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014. His career spanned more than five decades of public life, grounded in a commitment to progressive politics and reform rooted in his early encounters with the Chicago Democratic machine as a young law student in the late 1940s.

Early Life

Born on January 21, 1926, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Abner Joseph Mikva grew up during the Great Depression. Those early Milwaukee years shaped his awareness of economic hardship and social inequality. They'd inform his entire political career.

During World War II, Mikva served in the United States military. The G.I. Bill changed everything. After the war, this federal education benefit let him attend college, an opportunity he'd later credit with transforming his life completely. He started at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, then transferred to Washington University in St. Louis for his bachelor's degree.

At the University of Chicago Law School, something struck him hard. A formative encounter with the Chicago Democratic political machine left a lasting impression on the young law student. In 1948, when Mikva tried to volunteer for a local Democratic ward committeeman's campaign, the committeeman asked him, "Who sent you?" Mikva said nobody had sent him. The response became famous: "We don't want nobody nobody sent."

That phrase became shorthand for Chicago's machine politics. Insularity. Patronage. Corruption. Mikva's retelling of the story helped cement it in popular memory. But the rebuff didn't discourage him. Instead it pushed him toward reform. He'd spend his career opposing the very party establishment that had rebuffed him that day.

Education

Mikva's undergraduate work took him from Wisconsin to St. Louis at Washington University. Then came the University of Chicago Law School, where he earned his Juris Doctor. The school became central to his life. He studied there as a young man. Decades later, he'd teach there. His legal education provided the intellectual foundation for a career that moved fluidly between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of the federal government.

Career

Illinois State Legislature

Before entering Congress, Mikva served in the Illinois House of Representatives as a reform-minded liberal legislator. The state legislature gave him his first real taste of lawmaking. It also exposed him to the tensions between reformers and the entrenched Chicago machine. His independence from that machine set the tone for everything that came after.

United States Congress

In 1966, Mikva ran for the House in the Democratic primary against incumbent congressman Barratt O'Hara, who held Illinois's 2nd congressional district. He lost that race. Two years later, in 1968, he challenged O'Hara again and won the primary, then took the general election. He entered the 91st Congress in January 1969.

From 1969 to 1973, Mikva represented the South Side's 2nd district. He became one of the House's leading liberal voices. Gun control, civil liberties, government reform. Those were his issues. Redistricting after the 1970 census redrew his district's boundaries. Rather than compete in the reconfigured district, Mikva stepped aside in 1972. Ralph Metcalfe succeeded him.

Three years out of Congress wasn't quite what Mikva had in mind. In 1974, he ran for the House again, this time from the 10th district. That seat encompassed the North Shore suburbs and parts of Chicago's North Side. He defeated Republican incumbent Samuel H. Young. He won reelection in 1976, though his margins were consistently narrow in that politically competitive suburban territory.

Mikva became one of the era's most prominent liberal Democrats. Gun control was his signature issue. The National Rifle Association actively campaigned against him. It made his reelection campaigns grueling. His record also showed strong support for civil rights, environmental protection, and ethics reform.

In 1979, Mikva resigned from the House to accept a federal judicial appointment. John Porter, a Republican, succeeded him.

Federal Judiciary

President Jimmy Carter appointed Mikva to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 1979. This was a newly established seat on one of the nation's most influential courts. The D.C. Circuit handles vast amounts of federal regulatory and administrative cases. Its judges shape government policy in real ways.

The National Rifle Association opposed his nomination. This made sense given his congressional record on gun control. Yet the Senate confirmed him anyway. Mikva took his seat on September 26, 1979.

Over fifteen years on the D.C. Circuit, Mikva became one of the court's most prominent liberal voices. He wrote opinions on administrative law, civil liberties, and the separation of powers. His judicial philosophy was pragmatic. He believed government institutions could serve the public good.

On January 19, 1991, Mikva became chief judge of the D.C. Circuit, succeeding Patricia Wald. He held that position until September 19, 1994, when he left the bench for the White House. Harry T. Edwards became the next chief judge. Merrick Garland, whom Mikva had mentored, later filled Mikva's seat on the court.

Numerous law clerks went on to prominent careers under Mikva's supervision. Merrick Garland clerked for him and later became Attorney General. Elena Kagan, who also clerked for him, served as Solicitor General and now sits on the Supreme Court. Both credited Mikva with shaping their legal thinking and their lives. One former clerk wrote that Mikva "gave me my first real job, which was clerking for him" and then recommended that clerk for a clerkship with Justice Thurgood Marshall.

White House Counsel

On October 1, 1994, President Bill Clinton appointed Mikva as White House Counsel, replacing Lloyd Cutler. The job means advising the president on legal matters, running executive branch legal policy, and handling presidential ethics and compliance issues.

He took the role during a turbulent time for Clinton. The administration faced multiple legal and political challenges. Mikva served until November 1, 1995, when Jack Quinn replaced him.

This gave Mikva something rare. He'd now held senior positions in all three branches of the federal government. Congress, the courts, the executive branch. Few people in modern American history have done that.

Academic Career and Mentorship

After leaving the White House, Mikva returned to legal education. He joined the University of Chicago Law School faculty, where he'd earned his own law degree decades earlier, and taught law and government courses. He also taught at Georgetown University Law Center and Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.

As a professor, Mikva became known for mentoring younger lawyers and politicians. His most notable mentee was Barack Obama. The two first met when Obama was a law student at Chicago. Mikva tried recruiting him as a clerk. Obama declined at first, but the two developed a close relationship. Mikva became an early supporter as Obama moved into Illinois politics and eventually became president.

Merrick Garland also benefited from Mikva's mentorship. Garland clerked for him on the D.C. Circuit before joining the Department of Justice. He eventually took Mikva's old appellate seat and later became Attorney General under President Joe Biden. Elena Kagan, another Mikva clerk, went on to become Solicitor General and then an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.

His mentorship extended beyond individual relationships. The Mikva Challenge, a civic education organization named for him, was established to inspire young people to participate in democracy. It develops civic leaders among Chicago youth and beyond.

Personal Life

Chicago was Mikva's home for most of his life. His career took him to Washington, D.C. during his congressional service, his time on the bench, and his White House appointment. Still, he maintained deep ties to the Chicago legal and political communities throughout.

On July 4, 2016, Mikva died in Chicago at age 90. Tributes came from across the political spectrum. The ACLU of Illinois issued a statement from Executive Director Colleen K. Connell, mourning his passing and acknowledging his civil liberties work. The University of Chicago noted that he was "one of the few Americans to serve in senior positions in all three branches of the federal government."

Recognition

In 2014, President Barack Obama awarded Mikva the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. The award recognized his lifetime of public service across all three branches and his influence as a mentor and teacher.

Numerous legal and civic organizations recognized him throughout his career. The Federal Judicial Center documented his D.C. Circuit service. The Institute of Government and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois recognized his contributions to government ethics and reform.

The Mikva Challenge operates as a living recognition of his democratic ideals. The nonprofit civic engagement organization continues his work of involving ordinary citizens, particularly young people, in government and public life. Its ongoing efforts reflect Mikva's conviction that democracy requires participation from everyone.

WTTW produced a documentary about Mikva in 2020. The film examined his progressive values, his reform approach to politics, and his influence on legal and political leaders. It highlighted his service in all three branches and his mentorship of Barack Obama, Elena Kagan, and Merrick Garland.

The University of Chicago Law Review published a memorial tribute to Mikva. Former clerks and colleagues contributed reflections on his impact on the legal profession and public service.

Legacy

Abner Mikva's career stands out for two reasons. Its breadth encompassed all three branches of government. Its consistency advocated for liberal and reform principles. From that rebuff by a Chicago ward committeeman in 1948 to the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014, Mikva's public life traced the arc of post-war American liberalism. Its battles with political machines. Its advocacy for civil liberties and gun control. Its belief in government as a force for good.

His influence on American law extended far beyond his judicial opinions and legislative votes. Through mentoring Barack Obama, Merrick Garland, and Elena Kagan, Mikva shaped figures who'd become president, run the Department of Justice, and sit on the Supreme Court. His clerks and students populated law firms, government agencies, and the courts themselves, carrying forward the principles he championed.

"We don't want nobody nobody sent" remains one of America's most enduring political stories. It illustrates the machine politics that Mikva spent his career opposing. The story's persistence reflects its narrative power and the broader significance of his career. A reformer who entered politics without party backing. A man who sustained a long career despite that independence.

The Mikva Challenge continues embodying his commitment to civic participation. It works to engage young people in democracy and develop the next generation of civic leaders. The organization ensures his name stays connected to a simple principle: ordinary citizens have both the right and the responsibility to govern themselves. That principle defined his more than five decades of public service.