Samuel Bagenstos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Samuel R. Bagenstos
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| General Counsel of the United States Department of Health and Human Services | |
| In office June 15, 2022 – December 13, 2024 |
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| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Robert Charrow |
| General Counsel of the Office of Management and Budget | |
| In office January 20, 2021 – June 10, 2022 |
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| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Mark Paoletta |
| Succeeded by | Daniel Jacobson |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Samuel Robert Bagenstos
1970 (age 54–55) |
| Spouse | |
| Education | University of North Carolina Harvard Law School |
| Occupation | Professor, attorney |
Samuel Robert Bagenstos (born in 1970) is an American lawyer and teacher. He worked for the United States government in important roles. From June 2022 to December 2024, he was the main lawyer for the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Before that, from January 2021 to June 2022, he was the main lawyer for the Office of Management and Budget.
Mr. Bagenstos used to be a law professor at the University of Michigan. He returned to teaching after working for two years in the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. In that job, he helped protect people's rights.
He has been a civil rights lawyer for a long time. He started his career in 1994. His work has mostly focused on protecting voting rights, disability rights, and workers' rights.
Contents
Education and Early Career
Samuel Bagenstos studied at the University of North Carolina, where he earned his first degree in 1990. He then went to Harvard Law School and finished in 1993. He graduated with very high honors. He was also a leader for the Harvard Law Review, a student-run legal journal.
After law school, Mr. Bagenstos worked for a judge named Stephen Reinhardt. This job is called a law clerk. He then joined the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Later, he was a law clerk for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the U.S. Supreme Court from 1997 to 1998.
Important Cases and Legal Work
Mr. Bagenstos has argued four cases in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. In these cases, he represented the person who brought the lawsuit.
- In the case of Fry v. Napoleon Community Schools (2017), he helped a girl with cerebral palsy. She wanted to bring her service dog to school. Mr. Bagenstos won the case, and the Court said she could bring her dog.
- In Young v. United Parcel Service (2015), the Court created new rules to protect pregnant workers. This case helped make sure pregnant people are treated fairly at work.
- In United States v. Georgia (2006), the Court supported the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. This law helps people with disabilities. The case was about a prisoner who used a wheelchair.
- In Chevron v. Echazabal (2002), the Court decided that a company could prevent a worker from doing a job if it was too risky for their health.
Mr. Bagenstos also worked on the Mays v. Snyder case. He represented people in Flint, Michigan, who were harmed by the Flint water crisis. He helped them get the chance to argue their case in court.
He also spoke out against changes to voting rules in Ohio. He believed these changes made it harder for people to vote. He also supported the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. This law would protect workers from being treated unfairly because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Work in Government
As the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Samuel Bagenstos was a top leader in the Civil Rights Division. He helped oversee many important areas, especially disability rights. He worked to make sure states provided services to people with disabilities in ways that allowed them to live as independently as possible. He also focused on making sure new technologies could be used by people with disabilities.
In January 2021, Mr. Bagenstos joined the Biden administration. He became the general counsel for the Office of Management and Budget. This office helps the President manage the government's budget.
Later, in August 2021, he was chosen to be the general counsel for the United States Department of Health and Human Services. This department works on health and human services for the country. After a vote in the Senate, he was confirmed for this role in June 2022.
Teaching and Writing
Mr. Bagenstos has taught law at several universities. He was a professor at Harvard Law School, UCLA School of Law, and University of Michigan Law School. He also taught at Washington University School of Law.
He has written a book called Law and the Contradictions of the Disability Rights Movement. He also wrote a textbook on disability law and many articles.
Personal Life
Samuel Bagenstos is married to Margo Schlanger, who is also a law professor. They got married in 1998.
See also
- List of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States (Seat 6)
