Barack Obama: Difference between revisions
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→Early life and career: Restore info on unexpected scope of Obama's career as a "civil rights attorney". |
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Obama taught constitutional law part-time at the [[University of Chicago Law School]] from 1993 until his election to the U.S. Senate in 2004.<ref>{{cite news | first=Abdon M | last=Pallasch | title=Professor Obama was a Listener, Students Say | date=[[February 12]] [[2007]] | url=http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/253391,CST-NWS-prof12.article | work=Chicago Sun-Times | accessdate=2008-04-13}}</ref> |
Obama taught constitutional law part-time at the [[University of Chicago Law School]] from 1993 until his election to the U.S. Senate in 2004.<ref>{{cite news | first=Abdon M | last=Pallasch | title=Professor Obama was a Listener, Students Say | date=[[February 12]] [[2007]] | url=http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/253391,CST-NWS-prof12.article | work=Chicago Sun-Times | accessdate=2008-04-13}}</ref> |
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Obama worked as an [[lawyer|associate attorney]] with Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland from 1993 to 2002. After his election to the Illinois Senate in 1996 Obama worked at the firm only during the summer, when the Illinois Senate was not in session.<ref name="legal career">{{cite news | title=Law Graduate Obama Got His Start in Civil Rights Practice | date=[[February 19]] [[2007]] | publisher=''International Herald Tribune'' | url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/02/20/america/NA-POL-US-Obama-Attorney-at-Law.php | work=Associated Press | accessdate=2008-01-04}}</ref> Obama worked on cases where the firm represented community organizers, pursued [[employment discrimination law in the United States|discrimination]] claims, and on [[Voting Rights Act|voting rights]] cases. About a third of his time was spent on real estate transactions, filing incorporation papers and defending clients against minor lawsuits.<ref name="lawyer days"/> Most of his work involved drawing up briefs, contracts, and other legal documents, generally as a junior associate on legal teams.<ref name="lawyer days">{{cite news | url=http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-obamalegal6apr06,0,6774732,full.story | title=Obama's lawyer days: brief and not all civil rights | first=Dan | last=Moran | publisher=Los Angeles Times | date=2008-04-08 | accessdate=2008-04-15}}</ref> This included a successful lawsuit by the [[Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now]] (ACORN) that forced the state of Illinois to implement the [[Motor Voter]] Act, an appeals brief for a [[whistleblower]] who sued [[Cook County Hospital]] and the Hektoen Institute for Medical Research for wrongful termination, and a suit that forced the city of Chicago to redraw the [[Wards of the United States|ward]] boundaries that the city council had drawn up following the [[United States census, 1990|1990 census]].<ref name="legal career"/> |
Obama worked as an [[lawyer|associate attorney]] with Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland from 1993 to 2002. After his election to the Illinois Senate in 1996 Obama worked at the firm only during the summer, when the Illinois Senate was not in session.<ref name="legal career">{{cite news | title=Law Graduate Obama Got His Start in Civil Rights Practice | date=[[February 19]] [[2007]] | publisher=''International Herald Tribune'' | url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/02/20/america/NA-POL-US-Obama-Attorney-at-Law.php | work=Associated Press | accessdate=2008-01-04}}</ref> Obama worked on cases where the firm represented community organizers, pursued [[employment discrimination law in the United States|discrimination]] claims, and on [[Voting Rights Act|voting rights]] cases. About a third of his time was spent on real estate transactions, filing incorporation papers and defending clients against minor lawsuits.<ref name="lawyer days"/> Most of his work involved drawing up briefs, contracts, and other legal documents, generally as a junior associate on legal teams.<ref name="lawyer days">{{cite news | url=http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-obamalegal6apr06,0,6774732,full.story | title=Obama's lawyer days: brief and not all civil rights | first=Dan | last=Moran | publisher=Los Angeles Times | date=2008-04-08 | accessdate=2008-04-15}}</ref> This included a successful lawsuit by the [[Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now]] (ACORN) that forced the state of Illinois to implement the [[Motor Voter]] Act, an appeals brief for a [[whistleblower]] who sued [[Cook County Hospital]] and the Hektoen Institute for Medical Research for wrongful termination, and a suit that forced the city of Chicago to redraw the [[Wards of the United States|ward]] boundaries that the city council had drawn up following the [[United States census, 1990|1990 census]].<ref name="legal career"/> But it was not all civil rights work—he also appeared in court to defend a developer against charges it was failing to provide heat to tenants and another time to contest a demand that a healthcare corporation pay for baby-sitting (his client paid up).<ref name="lawyer days"/> |
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Obama also did some work on taxpayer-supported building rehabilitation loans for Rezmar Corp.,<ref>{{cite news | title=Obama and his Rezko ties | date=[[April 23]] [[2007]] | publisher=''Chicago Sun-Times'' | url=http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/353829,CST-NWS-rez23.article | work=Associated Press | accessdate=2008-03-30}}</ref> half-owned by [[Tony Rezko]], who later raised approximately $250,000 for Obama's various political campaigns.<ref>{{cite news |author=Staff writer |title=Obama: Rezko Raised Up to $250K |url=http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2008/03/14/1367529-obama-rezko-raised-up-to-250k|work=[[Associated Press]] |publisher=[[Newsvine]] |date=2008-03-14 |accessdate=2008-04-22}}</ref> In October 2006, Rezko was indicted for political corruption charges and the case was brought to trial in March 2008.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,335592,00.html | title=Courtroom Wire: Notes From Tony Rezko's Corruption Trial | publisher=FOXNews | first=Marla | lasr=Cichowski | date=[[April 10]], [[2008]] | accessdate=2008-04-15}}</ref> Obama has not been implicated in any wrongdoing.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24122886/ | title=Witness: Obama attended Rezko party | publisher=MSNBC.com | accessdate=2008-04-15 | work=Associated Press | date=[[April 15]], [[2008]]}}</ref> |
Obama also did some work on taxpayer-supported building rehabilitation loans for Rezmar Corp.,<ref>{{cite news | title=Obama and his Rezko ties | date=[[April 23]] [[2007]] | publisher=''Chicago Sun-Times'' | url=http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/353829,CST-NWS-rez23.article | work=Associated Press | accessdate=2008-03-30}}</ref> half-owned by [[Tony Rezko]], who later raised approximately $250,000 for Obama's various political campaigns.<ref>{{cite news |author=Staff writer |title=Obama: Rezko Raised Up to $250K |url=http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2008/03/14/1367529-obama-rezko-raised-up-to-250k|work=[[Associated Press]] |publisher=[[Newsvine]] |date=2008-03-14 |accessdate=2008-04-22}}</ref> In October 2006, Rezko was indicted for political corruption charges and the case was brought to trial in March 2008.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,335592,00.html | title=Courtroom Wire: Notes From Tony Rezko's Corruption Trial | publisher=FOXNews | first=Marla | lasr=Cichowski | date=[[April 10]], [[2008]] | accessdate=2008-04-15}}</ref> Obama has not been implicated in any wrongdoing.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24122886/ | title=Witness: Obama attended Rezko party | publisher=MSNBC.com | accessdate=2008-04-15 | work=Associated Press | date=[[April 15]], [[2008]]}}</ref> |
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