2022 Keynote Speaker

Former Attorney General of the United States and renowned civil rights advocate Eric Holder has pursued a remarkable legal and public service career spanning more than thirty years.  Over those years and in many key roles, he has led the charge on critical human and civil rights issues. 

After completing law school, Mr. Holder launched his public service career, spending twelve years as an attorney in the Department of Justice’s Public Integrity Section.  He was appointed to the D.C. Superior Court bench by President Reagan in 1988, presiding over both criminal and civil cases until 1993 when President Clinton appointed him to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.  It was in that role, from 1993 to 1997, that Mr. Holder instituted numerous impactful community programs, including in the areas of domestic violence and gun control.  In 1997, Mr. Holder was appointed Deputy Attorney General of the United States, becoming the first African American to hold that position.

Mr. Holder’s six-year tenure as Attorney General under President Obama was defined by his leadership on voting rights and a steadfast commitment to criminal justice reforms. In 2014, Time magazine named Mr. Holder to its list of 100 Most Influential People, noting that he had “worked tirelessly to ensure equal justice.”  

Mr. Holder returned to private practice in 2015, and as Senior Counsel at Covington & Burling he advises clients on complex investigations and litigation matters.  While an internationally recognized leader across a broad range of regulatory enforcement, criminal justice, and national security issues, Mr. Holder continues his untiring work for voter rights and electoral fairness.  His recently published book, Our Unfinished March, offers an historical survey of the struggle for voting rights in the U.S. as well a slate of actions for preserving and expanding those rights.