May 16, 1981
The President today announced the appointment of Philip A. Lacovara as the Presidential appointee to the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission. Mr. Lacovara will fill the unexpired 5-year term of William A. Borders, Jr., who was appointed by President Carter on July 2, 1980.
Mr. Lacovara is currently resident partner of the Washington, D.C., office of the law firm Hughes, Hubbard & Reed, where he is engaged in the general practice of law. In 1976 and 1977 he served as special counsel, House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, for the Korean influence investigation. In 1973 and 1974 he served as Counsel to the Special Prosecutor, Watergate Special Prosecution Force. Prior to that, in 1972-73 and 1967-69, he served in the capacities of Deputy Solicitor General of the United States and Assistant to the Solicitor General of the United States, respectively. In 1971-72 he served as special counsel to the police commissioner of New York. Mr. Lacovara served as Special Assistant to the Attorney General in 1970. From 1969 to 1971, he was associated with Hughes, Hubbard & Reed. Prior to that, in 1968 and 1969 he served as consultant to the U.S. Representative to the Organization of American States.
Immediately following his graduation from law school in 1966, Mr. Lacovara served a judicial clerkship with Judge Harold Leventhal of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Mr. Lacovara graduated summa cum laude from Columbia University School of Law, where he was first in his class for each of 3 years. He received his bachelor's degree magna cum laude from Georgetown University in 1963, where he graduated in 3 years.
Mr. Lacovara has been actively involved in District of Columbia legal affairs throughout his distinguished career, which has included service since 1976 on the board of trustees of the Public Defender Service of the District of Columbia, and since 1979 on the committee on admissions and grievances, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Additionally, he has served since 1973 on the Judicial Conference of the District of Columbia Circuit, and since 1976 on the Advisory Committee on Procedure, Judicial Council of the District of Columbia Circuit, and the Legal Ethics Committee, District of Columbia Bar. From 1978 through 1980, he was delegate from the District of Columbia to the American Bar Association House of Delegates. He is a member of the American Law Institute.
Mr. Lacovara has served as an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center and lecturer in law at Columbia University School of Law. He has been a frequent author and lecturer in many areas of the law, including the criminal justice system, constitutional law, antitrust law, and professional responsibility.
Mr. Lacovara is married, has seven children, and resides in Washington, D.C. He was born on July 11, 1943.