People in the news

Chai R. Feldblum

Equal Employment Opportunity Commissioner (since March 2010)

(Georgetown Law biography)

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Background

At a Glance

Career History: professor, Georgetown University Law Center (1991-2010); Legislative Counsel, ACLU AIDS Project (1988-1990); clerk for Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun (1986-1987) and Judge Frank M. Coffin, First Circuit Court of Appeals (1985-1986)
Hometown: New York, N.Y.
Alma Mater: Barnard College, B.A., 1979; Harvard Law School, J.D., 1985
Religion: Jewish

DC Office: 131 M Street NE, Washington, DC, 20507
Email
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Path to Power

The daughter of a Holocaust survivor, Feldblum grew up in an orthodox Jewish home in New York City. She attended Barnard College, graduating with a B.A. in 1979. She went on to attend Harvard Law School, and after graduation in 1985 clerked for Judge Frank M. Coffin of the First Circuit Court of Appeals, followed by Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun,famously the author of the Roe v. Wade decision a decade earlier.

Starting in 1988, Feldblum served as legislative counsel to the AIDS project of the American Civil Liberties Union where she analyzed policy on various AIDS-related issues, and played a leading role in the drafting of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

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The Issues

Feldblum is out quite publicly as a lesbian; she brought her partner, Nan Hunter, to her Senate confirmation hearing. She has long been a vocal supporter of gay rights, and helped draft the Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA), a piece of pending legislation that would outlaw workplace discrimination based on sexual identity or orientation.

In her work on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Feldblum has advocated for the disabled and other types of American workers. As an attorney she has also done pro-bono work for nonprofit organizations and others committed to social justice.

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Gay Rights

As one might expect, Feldblum's positions on LGBT issues have drawn harsh critiques from social conservatives. Many conservative web sites ran articles listing her views; the Traditional Values Coalition called her a "general counsel to the Forces of Darkness."

A major part of conversatives' argument against the ENDA is that it would discriminate against those opposed to homosexuality for religious reasons. This conflict between religious freedom and gay rights is a major issue for Feldblum; she attended a conference of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty in 2005 on gay marriage and religious freedom, and published a paper the following year on the issue.

Though she acknowledges that both groups have rights that need to be considered, when pressed, Feldblum said, "I'm having a hard time coming up with any case in which religious liberty should win." But she advocates sensitivity to religious concerns. At her confirmation hearing, she refered to her decade of service as a pro-bono lawyer for Catholic Charities USA, and said she has "a deep respect for and understanding of religious practice and a deep-seated tolerance for religious difference."

Labor Issues

One of Feldblum's major recent projects at Georgetown was co-directing Workplace Flexibility 2010, a public-policy initiative that seeks to advance flexible workplaces (telecommuting, part-time work schedules, etc.) and make such solutions work for both employees and employers.

Though most of Feldblum's work has been on the side of employees, she also has the support of some business groups.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a business interest group, praised her credentials in a December 2009 letter to several senators on the HELP Committee. "While it is true that the chamber will not always agree with either Ms. Lipnic or Ms. Feldblum on every issue," the letter read, "we have no doubt that each will be open to hear and consider the concerns of the business community and all interested stakeholders in matters under the EEOC's jurisdiction."

The Network

Feldblum has an extensive network of support in the academic community. She worked closely on legislative efforts with Tony Varona, a law professor at American University, who praised her nomination. "She really combines so deftly a brilliant legal mind with a deep understanding of how Washington works," he told the Washington gay and lesbian magazine Metro Weekly.

Gay and lesbian advocacy groups are also a significant part of Feldblum's network. David Smith of the Human Rights Campaign, along with other gay-rights figures, celebrated her appointment to the EEOC.

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Campaign Contributions

Feldblum has a long history of donating to Democratic campaigns, from House races to presidential primaries. She gave a total of $1,250 to Howard Dean during the 2004 Democratic primaries, but later gave $450 to John Kerry (D-Mass.) after Dean's campaign imploded. She gave $1,600 to the Obama campaign, all within the last two months of the 2008 race, and supported Al Gore with $250 in 1999.

Since 1994, Feldblum has donated a total of nearly $4,000 to Democratic House and Senate candidates across the country, several of whom were not successful. The list includes Georgetown colleagues and gay-rights activists, along with former Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), Sen. James Webb (D-Va.), and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).

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