Kenneth Starr

Kenneth Starr
Work of the U.S. Federal Government · Public domain · source
Name	Kenneth Starr
Birth name	Kenneth Winston Starr
Birth date	21 July 1946
Birth place	Vernon, Texas, U.S.
Death date	13 September 2022
Death place	Houston, Texas, U.S.
Education	George Washington University (BA), Brown University (MA), Duke University School of Law (JD)
Occupation	Lawyer, judge, academic
Spouse	Alice Jean Mendell, 1970, 2022

Kenneth Starr was an American lawyer, judge, and academic who served as a federal appellate judge and as the Independent Counsel whose investigations led to the impeachment of Bill Clinton. His legal career included roles as Solicitor General of the United States and as a partner at the law firm Kirkland & Ellis. Starr later served as president of Baylor University and dean of the Pepperdine University School of Law.

Early life and education

Kenneth Winston Starr was born in Vernon, Texas, and spent part of his childhood in San Antonio. His family later moved to Centerville, Texas, where he attended high school. He initially pursued higher education at Harding University, a private Christian university associated with the Churches of Christ. Starr transferred to George Washington University in Washington, D.C., where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. He subsequently received a Master of Arts in political science from Brown University. Starr then attended Duke University School of Law, graduating with a Juris Doctor and serving as an editor of the Duke Law Journal.

Legal career and academia

After law school, Starr served as a law clerk for Judge David W. Dyer of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and then for Chief Justice Warren E. Burger of the Supreme Court of the United States. He entered private practice at the firm now known as Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan appointed him as a counselor to Attorney General William French Smith. In 1983, Reagan nominated Starr to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, where he served until 1989. President George H. W. Bush then appointed him to the role of Solicitor General of the United States, a position he held from 1989 to 1993, arguing numerous cases before the Supreme Court. Following the administration of George H. W. Bush, Starr returned to private practice at Kirkland & Ellis and also taught law at New York University School of Law.

Independent Counsel investigations

In 1994, a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit appointed Starr as Independent Counsel to investigate the Whitewater controversy involving President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton. His mandate later expanded to include other matters, including the dismissal of staff from the White House Travel Office and the circumstances surrounding the suicide of White House Deputy Counsel Vincent Foster. The investigation pivoted significantly after evidence emerged of President Clinton's relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Starr's office produced a detailed report, known as the Starr Report, which was submitted to the United States House of Representatives and formed the basis for charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. This led to the impeachment of Bill Clinton by the House of Representatives in 1998; Clinton was later acquitted by the United States Senate. The investigation and its aftermath were highly polarizing, making Starr a central and controversial figure in American politics during the late 1990s.

Later career and academic leadership

After concluding his work as Independent Counsel, Starr returned to private practice at Kirkland & Ellis and joined the faculty of George Mason University School of Law. In 2004, he was appointed dean of the Pepperdine University School of Law in Malibu, California. In 2010, Starr was named the 14th president of Baylor University in Waco, Texas. His tenure was marked by significant fundraising and campus expansion but ended controversially in 2016 following criticism of the university's handling of sexual assault cases involving Baylor Bears football players. Starr subsequently served as chancellor of the university before resigning. He later taught at Liberty University School of Law and returned to private practice. In 2020, he joined President Donald Trump's legal defense team during the first impeachment of Donald Trump.

Personal life and death

Starr married Alice Jean Mendell in 1970, and they had three children. He was a lifelong member of the Churches of Christ and was known for his religious faith. Starr authored several books on legal and constitutional topics. He died from complications of surgery at a hospital in Houston on September 13, 2022, at the age of 76. His death prompted a wide range of reactions, reflecting his complex legacy in American legal and political history.

Category:American lawyers Category:American judges Category:American legal scholars