Eric L. Clay
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Eric Lee Clay (born January 18, 1948) is a United States Circuit Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
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[edit] Early life, education and legal training
Born in Durham, North Carolina, Clay earned a bachelor's degree Phi Beta Kappa from the University of North Carolina in 1969 and a law degree in 1972 from Yale Law School, where he was a classmate of future president Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Clay clerked for U.S. District Judge Damon Keith from June 1972 until June 1973. Keith later went on to become a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
[edit] Professional career
Clay worked as a lawyer in private practice in Detroit from 1973 until 1997. He was a partner and co-founder of Lewis, White & Clay, which was considered to be one of the nation's leading black-owned law firms. In addition, he also served on the executive board of the Clinton-Gore finance committee for Michigan in 1992.
[edit] Federal judicial service
On March 6, 1996, President Clinton nominated Clay to a seat on the Sixth Circuit. The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved Clay's nomination in 1996, and he was awaiting a full confirmation vote from the Senate when senators adjourned in 1996 prior to the presidential election. Clinton renominated Clay on January 7, 1997. Clay was unanimously confirmed by the full Senate in a voice vote on July 31, 1997.
