Michael Mukasey

Michael Mukasey
Born	Michael Bernard Mukasey 28 7, 1941
Birthplace	New York City, New York, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Lawyer, jurist, former United States Attorney General
Known for	81st United States Attorney General; Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Education	Yale University (LLB)
Spouse(s)	Susan Mukasey
Children	2
Awards	The American Lawyer Lifetime Achievement Award (2025)

Michael Bernard Mukasey (born July 28, 1941) is an American lawyer and jurist who served as the 81st United States Attorney General from November 2007 to January 2009 under President George W. Bush. Before his appointment as the nation's chief law enforcement officer, Mukasey served for nearly two decades as a U.S. district judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, one of the most prominent federal trial courts in the country. He rose to become Chief Judge of that court in 2000, a position he held until his retirement from the bench in 2006. A graduate of Columbia University and Yale Law School, Mukasey built a career that spanned private legal practice, federal prosecution, the judiciary, and the highest levels of the executive branch. Upon his confirmation as Attorney General, he became the second Jewish person to hold that office in American history. Following his government service, he returned to private practice and has been recognized for his contributions to the legal profession, including being named a Lifetime Achievement honoree by The American Lawyer in 2025.

Early Life

Michael Bernard Mukasey was born on July 28, 1941, in New York City, New York. He grew up in the Bronx, the child of parents with roots in the Jewish community. His family background has been traced to Belarus, where his ancestors lived before emigrating to the United States.

Mukasey was raised in New York City and attended local schools before pursuing higher education at Columbia University. His upbringing in one of the nation's largest and most diverse metropolitan areas would shape his long career in the federal legal system, particularly within the Southern District of New York, which encompasses Manhattan and surrounding areas and handles some of the most complex and high-profile cases in the federal judiciary.

Education

Mukasey attended Columbia University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. He subsequently enrolled at Yale Law School, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree in 1967. His time at Yale would later become a subject of discussion during his 2007 Attorney General confirmation, as faculty and students at the law school debated his nomination and his positions on issues such as executive power and interrogation techniques.

Career

Early Legal Career and Federal Prosecution

After graduating from Yale Law School, Mukasey entered private legal practice in New York City. He spent approximately two decades working in private practice over the course of his career prior to his judicial appointment.

During this period, Mukasey also served for four years as an Assistant United States Attorney in the office of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, one of the most prominent federal prosecutor's offices in the country. The Southern District is known for handling major cases involving white-collar crime, organized crime, terrorism, and securities fraud, and service there is considered among the most demanding and prestigious positions available to young federal prosecutors. This prosecutorial experience provided Mukasey with extensive familiarity with the court he would later serve on as a judge and chief judge.

Federal Judicial Service

In 1987, President Ronald Reagan nominated Michael Mukasey to serve as a judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. He was confirmed by the United States Senate and received his judicial commission on November 9, 1987, filling the seat vacated by Abraham David Sofaer.

Over the course of his nearly two-decade tenure on the federal bench, Mukasey presided over a wide range of significant cases. The Southern District of New York handles a substantial volume of complex federal litigation, including major criminal prosecutions, securities cases, and matters involving national security.

One of the most notable cases to come before Judge Mukasey involved terrorism prosecutions. He presided over the trial of Omar Abdel Rahman, the so-called "Blind Sheikh," and other defendants charged in connection with the 1993 World Trade Center bombing conspiracy and a broader plot to bomb other New York City landmarks. The trial, which concluded in convictions, was one of the most significant terrorism cases in American legal history prior to the September 11 attacks.

On March 12, 2000, Mukasey became Chief Judge of the Southern District of New York, succeeding Thomas P. Griesa. As Chief Judge, he was responsible for the administrative oversight of one of the busiest and most important federal trial courts in the nation. He served in this capacity until August 1, 2006, when he assumed senior status. He was succeeded as Chief Judge by Kimba Wood. Mukasey then served briefly as a Senior Judge before fully retiring from the bench on September 9, 2006, to return to private legal practice. His seat on the court was subsequently filled by Richard J. Sullivan.

During his judicial career, Mukasey also published writings on legal and public policy matters. He authored an article for The Wall Street Journal's OpinionJournal on topics related to law and governance.

Nomination as Attorney General

In September 2007, following the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales amid controversies over the dismissal of U.S. attorneys and other matters, President George W. Bush nominated Mukasey to serve as the 81st United States Attorney General.

The nomination initially received a positive reception. Senator Charles Schumer of New York, a Democrat who served on the Senate Judiciary Committee, was among those who recommended Mukasey for the position. Mukasey was seen by some as a respected jurist with significant experience on the federal bench who could restore stability and credibility to the Department of Justice after the tumultuous final months of Gonzales's tenure.

However, Mukasey's confirmation proceedings became contentious over the issue of waterboarding and whether it constituted torture. During his confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Mukasey declined to state definitively whether waterboarding was illegal, saying he found the practice "repugnant" but that he could not make a legal determination without being briefed on classified details of the interrogation program.

This position drew criticism from several Democratic senators, civil liberties organizations, and legal scholars who argued that waterboarding had long been recognized as torture under both domestic and international law. The controversy also prompted debate at Mukasey's alma mater, Yale Law School, where faculty members and students publicly discussed the implications of his nomination and his positions on executive power and interrogation methods.

Media investigations also examined Mukasey's connections to political figures. Reports noted his ties to former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who was then a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination.

Despite the controversy over waterboarding, Mukasey was confirmed by the Senate. He was sworn in as Attorney General on November 9, 2007.

Tenure as Attorney General

As Attorney General, Mukasey served from November 9, 2007, to January 20, 2009, the remainder of President Bush's second term. His deputies included Craig S. Morford, who served in an acting capacity, and Mark Filip.

Mukasey's tenure at the Department of Justice was marked by efforts to restore institutional stability following the controversies that had surrounded his predecessor. He oversaw the Department during a period in which national security and counterterrorism policy remained central concerns of the federal government.

One significant policy area during Mukasey's tenure involved federal sentencing guidelines for cocaine offenses. The disparity between sentences for crack cocaine and powder cocaine had long been a subject of debate, with critics arguing that the disparity disproportionately affected African Americans. During Mukasey's time as Attorney General, the question of whether to apply retroactively the reduced sentencing guidelines for crack cocaine offenses became a prominent issue. Drug policy reform advocates criticized the Department of Justice's approach to enforcement priorities during this period.

The broader context of the Bush administration's national security policies, including the legal framework for interrogation of detainees and surveillance programs, continued to be subjects of public and congressional scrutiny during Mukasey's time in office.

Mukasey left office on January 20, 2009, upon the inauguration of President Barack Obama. He was succeeded as Attorney General by Eric Holder.

Return to Private Practice

Following his departure from the Department of Justice, Mukasey returned to the private practice of law. He joined the law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton, where he has served as of counsel.

In his post-government career, Mukasey has continued to write and speak on issues related to the law, national security, and the administration of justice. In a 2025 interview with The American Lawyer, Mukasey summarized his philosophy of professional excellence as centering on one fundamental question: "What's in the law?" He emphasized the primacy of legal text and analysis across his career as prosecutor, judge, and private practitioner.

Mukasey has also remained active in public life and political commentary. In 2025, he publicly endorsed Andrew Cuomo in a New York political contest, writing an opinion piece in which he identified himself as a Republican who had been appointed to the federal bench by Ronald Reagan but was supporting Cuomo based on specific policy considerations.

Personal Life

Michael Mukasey is married to Susan Mukasey. The couple has two children. His son, Marc Mukasey, has also pursued a career in law and has become a prominent defense attorney in New York. Marc Mukasey has represented several high-profile clients, including President Donald Trump's business interests and other notable figures.

Mukasey is a member of the Republican Party. He has been described as affiliated with the Republican Party throughout his career, though he has at times taken positions that crossed party lines, as evidenced by his 2025 endorsement of Andrew Cuomo.

Mukasey resides in the New York metropolitan area, where he has spent the vast majority of his professional life.

Recognition

In August 2025, Mukasey was named a Lifetime Achievement honoree by The American Lawyer, one of the legal profession's most prominent publications. The award recognized Mukasey's decades of service across multiple roles in the American legal system, from federal prosecutor to district court judge to Attorney General of the United States and, subsequently, private practitioner at Debevoise & Plimpton.

In accepting the recognition, Mukasey spoke about his approach to the law and professional excellence, emphasizing the importance of grounding legal analysis in the text and substance of the law itself rather than external considerations.

Upon his confirmation as Attorney General in 2007, Mukasey became the second Jewish person to serve in that position in the history of the United States, a milestone that was noted in press coverage at the time.

His appointment to the Southern District of New York by President Reagan and his subsequent elevation to Chief Judge reflected the esteem in which he was held within the federal judiciary. The Southern District is often referred to informally as the "Mother Court" of the federal system, and serving as its Chief Judge is considered one of the most significant positions in the federal trial court system.

Legacy

Michael Mukasey's career spans several of the most significant legal institutions and events of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. His service as a federal judge on the Southern District of New York, particularly his role in presiding over major terrorism cases in the 1990s, placed him at the center of the federal government's evolving response to the threat of terrorism on American soil. His subsequent appointment as Attorney General came during a period of intense debate over the legal boundaries of executive power in the context of national security.

The controversy surrounding his confirmation—specifically his refusal to categorically label waterboarding as torture during his Senate hearings—remains one of the defining episodes of his public career. His position reflected the broader tensions within the Bush administration and American legal community over the permissibility of enhanced interrogation techniques, a debate that continued to shape national security law and policy in subsequent administrations.

As a jurist, Mukasey served on the federal bench for nearly two decades and was entrusted with the administrative leadership of one of the most important federal trial courts in the country. His judicial record encompassed cases spanning terrorism, securities law, and other areas of federal jurisdiction.

In his post-government career, Mukasey's continued engagement with legal practice and public discourse has underscored his sustained influence in American legal circles. The 2025 Lifetime Achievement recognition from The American Lawyer acknowledged a career that traversed the major pillars of the American legal profession—prosecution, the judiciary, executive branch service, and private practice.