Beryl Howell

Beryl Howell
Name	Beryl Howell
Office	Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
Appointer	Barack Obama
Term start	January 6, 2014
Predecessor	Thomas F. Hogan
Birth date	1956
Birth place	New York City, New York, U.S.
Alma mater	Northwestern University; University of Chicago Law School

Beryl Howell is a United States district judge serving on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. She previously served as chief of staff at the United States Sentencing Commission and as a federal prosecutor and counsel in the United States House of Representatives. Howell has authored opinions in high-profile matters involving national security, congressional oversight, and criminal law, and has taught at several law schools and institutions.

Early life and education

Howell was born in New York City and raised in a family with professional ties to New York City institutions. She attended Northwestern University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts, and received a Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago Law School. During her studies she engaged with legal scholarship and clinics that connected her with figures from Chicago and Illinois legal communities, linking networks that included alumni from Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, and Columbia Law School through academic symposia.

Legal career

Howell began her legal career in private practice and clerked for federal judges in the United States judiciary before moving into public service. She served as counsel in the United States House of Representatives, including work for the House Judiciary Committee and staff roles during oversight of Department of Justice matters and high-profile inquiries connected to committees chaired by members such as John Conyers and Henry Hyde. Later she joined the United States Sentencing Commission as chief counsel and chief of staff, collaborating with commissioners nominated by presidents including George W. Bush and advisors from administrations such as Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Howell also worked with the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and participated in task forces alongside entities like the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the Inspector General.

Federal judicial service

Nominated by President Barack Obama to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Howell filled the seat vacated by Thomas F. Hogan. Following confirmation by the United States Senate, she received her judicial commission in January 2014. On the bench she presides over civil and criminal dockets that include litigation involving federal agencies such as the Central Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, Federal Communications Commission, and Securities and Exchange Commission. Her docket has included cases that attracted filings from litigants represented by counsel from firms linked to the American Bar Association and advocacy organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union and Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Notable rulings and opinions

Howell has issued significant opinions addressing presidential powers, congressional investigatory authority, and criminal procedure. She presided over disputes concerning subpoenas and document production directed to executive branch entities related to investigations involving figures tied to Donald Trump and matters intersecting with inquiries by committees such as the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and the House Intelligence Committee. In decisions involving classified information she has navigated interactions with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court procedures and the Classified Information Procedures Act. Howell ruled in cases implicating criminal statutes enforced by the Department of Justice, including prosecutions brought by the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and special counsel investigations connected to offices like the Office of Special Counsel and high-profile prosecutors such as Robert Mueller. Her written opinions have been cited in appeals before the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and engaged commentary from legal scholars affiliated with institutions like Georgetown University Law Center, Harvard Law School, and Stanford Law School.

Academic and professional activities

Howell has taught courses and lectured at law schools and professional forums, including appointments and visiting positions that connected her with faculty from George Washington University Law School, Columbia Law School, and University of Virginia School of Law. She has participated in panels hosted by organizations such as the Federalist Society, the American Constitution Society, and the Brookings Institution, and contributed to conferences at think tanks like the Aspen Institute and the Hoover Institution. Howell has been involved with continuing legal education programs sponsored by the Federal Judicial Center and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and has been cited in law reviews published by journals at Yale, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

Personal life and affiliations

Howell resides in the Washington, D.C. area and is active in professional networks that include alumni associations of Northwestern University and the University of Chicago. Her affiliations have connected her to bar groups such as the District of Columbia Bar and national organizations including the American Bar Association. She has family ties to the northeastern United States and maintains engagements with civic institutions and nonprofit entities operating in legal reform and public policy arenas, including partnerships with organizations like the Brennan Center for Justice and the RAND Corporation.

Category:1956 births Category:Judges of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia Category:United States district court judges appointed by Barack Obama Category:Northwestern University alumni Category:University of Chicago Law School alumni