Frank Lautenberg: “Mr. Chertoff was born in Elizabeth, NJ, and distinguished himself academically as an undergraduate and law student at…”

“Mr. Chertoff was born in Elizabeth, NJ, and distinguished himself academically as an undergraduate and law student at Harvard University. After law school, he served as a law clerk to Judge Murray Gurfein on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. After he clerked on the Second Circuit, Michael Chertoff served as a clerk to a legendary jurist from the great State of New Jersey--U.S. Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan. Justice Brennan was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and he spent 34 years on the Court. He is universally regarded as one of the most influential Justices of the second half of the 20th century. If Mr. Chertoff follows the legacy of his mentor, the Third Circuit is going to be in great hands. In 1990, Mr. Chertoff became the U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey. He remained there until 1994. During his able tenure, he aggressively tackled organized crime, public corruption, health care, and bank fraud. He also played a critical role in helping the New Jersey State Legislature to investigate racial profiling. "Driving while Black," as they say, should not be a crime in any State in the Nation, and I know Mr. Chertoff agrees. That is why I introduced the first bill in the Senate to ban racial profiling. And I am grateful to Mr. Chertoff for the interest he took in this matter at the State level.”