Laurence Hirsch Silberman
Appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1985 and confirmed by voice vote, Laurence Hirsch Silberman was a Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He earned a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1961. Sources ↓
- Lived
- 1935–2022
- Appointed by
- Ronald Reagan, 1985
- Confirmed
- by voice vote
- Education
- Dartmouth College 1957 · Harvard Law School 1961
- Succeeded by
- Brett M. Kavanaugh
Federal judicial service
| Year | Court | Appointed by | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | District of Columbia Circuit | Reagan (R) | Voice vote |
Party letters show the appointing president’s party, not the judge’s own. A voice vote means the chamber approved aloud. No senator-by-senator tally is recorded.
Confirmation vote
Voice vote
The Senate approved this confirmation aloud, with no senator-by-senator tally recorded. Recorded roll-call votes begin in 1989.
Education
| Dartmouth College | A.B. | 1957 |
| Harvard Law School | LL.B. | 1961 |
Before the bench
Professional career before and outside the federal bench, as recorded by the Federal Judicial Center.
| U.S. Army private | 1957-1958 |
| Private practice, Honolulu, Hawaii | 1961-1967 |
| Lecturer, University of Hawaii Law School | 1962-1963 |
| Attorney, Appellate Division, National Labor Relations Board | 1967-1969 |
| Solicitor, U.S. Department of Labor | 1969-1970 |
| Undersecretary of labor | 1970-1973 |
| Private practice, Washington, D.C. | 1973-1974, 1978-1979, 1983-1985 |
| Deputy attorney general, U.S. Department of Justice | 1974-1975 |
| Ambassador to Yugoslavia, U.S. Department of State | 1975-1977 |
| President's special envoy on International Labor Organization Affairs | 1976 |
| American Enterprise Institute, 1977-1985; senior fellow, 1977-1978; visiting fellow | 1978-1985 |
| Executive vice president of strategic planning, Legal and Government Affairs, Crocker National Bank, San Francisco, California | 1979-1983 |
| Faculty, Georgetown University Law Center, 1987- ; adjunct professor of law, 1987-1999; distinguished visitor from the judiciary | 2000- |
| Co-chair, President's Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction | 2004-2005 |
Questions & answers
- Who appointed Laurence Hirsch Silberman?
- President Ronald Reagan appointed Laurence Hirsch Silberman to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 1985.
- Was Laurence Hirsch Silberman appointed by a Democrat or a Republican?
- Laurence Hirsch Silberman was appointed by President Ronald Reagan, a Republican. JudicialFinder records the appointing president's party, not a judge's own politics.
- What was Laurence Hirsch Silberman's confirmation vote?
- Laurence Hirsch Silberman was confirmed by voice vote on October 25, 1985. No senator-by-senator tally was recorded.
- Which court was Laurence Hirsch Silberman on?
- Laurence Hirsch Silberman was a Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Sources
Each fact on this page traces to a primary public record.
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36 years on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Data as of 2026-09-28. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).