J. Joseph Curran Jr. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids J. Joseph Curran Jr.
44th Attorney General of Maryland
In office January 21, 1987 – January 17, 2007
Governor	William Donald Schaefer Parris Glendening Bob Ehrlich Martin O'Malley
Preceded by	Stephen H. Sachs
Succeeded by	Doug Gansler
4th Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
In office January 19, 1983 – January 21, 1987
Governor	Harry Hughes
Preceded by	Samuel Bogley
Succeeded by	Melvin Steinberg
Member of the Maryland State Senate
In office January 1963 – January 1983
Preceded by	J. Raymond Buffington, Jr.
Succeeded by	John A. Pica, Jr.
Constituency	3rd district (1963–1967) 9th district (1967–1975) 43rd district (1975–1982)
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 3rd district
In office January 1959 – January 1963
Personal details
Born	(1931-07-07) July 7, 1931 (age 92) West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Barbara Marie Atkins
Children	5, including Katie
Alma mater	University of Baltimore (BA, LLB)
Profession	Attorney
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Air Force
Years of service	1951–1955
Battles/wars	Korean War

J. Joseph Curran Jr. (born July 7, 1931) is an American lawyer and the longest serving elected attorney general (1987 to 2007) in Maryland history, and previously the fourth lieutenant governor of Maryland from 1983 to 1987. His son-in-law, Martin J. O'Malley, served as the 61st governor of Maryland from 2007 to 2015.

Background

Curran was born in West Palm Beach, Florida, the son of Catherine Mary (Clark) and Baltimore City Council member J. Joseph Curran, Sr. He attended Baltimore parochial schools. He graduated from Loyola High School and then from the University of Baltimore. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1951 to 1955. Curran returned to Baltimore and entered the University of Baltimore School of Law where he earned a LL.B. in 1959. Curran was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1959 and is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association.

Career

A Democrat, Curran previously served as the Lieutenant Governor of Maryland from 1983 to 1987 under Governor Harry Hughes. Prior to that, Curran was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates from 1959 to 1963 and the Maryland Senate from 1963 to 1983.

Attorney general

In 1986, Curran was elected attorney general after serving four years as lieutenant governor with Governor Harry R. Hughes. In 1990, 1994, 1998, and 2002, he won re-election. As attorney general, Curran initiated Maryland improvements in the areas of consumer protection, criminal investigations, Medicaid fraud prosecution, securities regulation, antitrust enforcement, and protection of children and teens, parents, seniors, and victims of domestic violence. He worked to strengthen criminal laws against gun violence, and was an opponent of slot machines and casino gambling.

Retirement

Citing his age and his long career, Curran decided not to seek re-election in 2006, preventing any conflict of interest that might arise in having O'Malley as governor and his father-in-law as attorney general.

Family

Curran is the brother of Martin "Mike" Curran and Robert W. Curran who both also served on the Baltimore City Council. Curran is married, with four living children, three daughters and one son. His wife, Barbara Curran is an esteemed painter. His youngest daughter, Katie, was a state district court judge (2001–2021) and the wife of former Governor Martin O'Malley. His middle daughter, Alice, is the chief financial officer at Miami Country Day School, a private school in South Florida. His son, J. Joseph "Max" Curran, is a partner at the Venable law firm. His eldest daughter, Mary Carole Curran, is an accomplished photographer in Baltimore City. His first cousin was Gerald Curran.

Awards and honors

Curran has received various awards, including:

AARP Maryland named its lifetime achievement award after Curran, which is presented to those "who have exhibited a lifetime of exemplary commitment to volunteerism and civic involvement".