Barack Obama | Attorney

Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, began a career in law before switching to politics. Obama earned a BA from Columbia University in 1983 and a JD from Harvard Law School in 1991.

Obama transferred to Columbia as a junior in 1981. He graduated with a major in political science and a specialization in international relations. Following graduation Obama worked for the Business International Corporation as a researcher and writer. He then became a project coordinator for the New York Public Interest Group at the City College of New York campus, and was later hired as director of the Developing Communities Project in Chicago.

In 1988 Obama entered Harvard Law School. He was selected first as editor, then as president, of the Harvard Law Review. Obama spent his summers in law school working for as an associate for the firms Sidley Austin (1989) and Hopkins & Sutter (1990). Obama graduated Harvard cum laude in 1991.

Following graduation Obama secured a two-year position at the University of Chicago Law School, where he worked as a Visiting Law and Government Fellow. Obama then taught constitutional law at the school for 12 years. He directed Illinois' Project Vote in 1992, then joined the firm of Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland. He started at the firm as an associate from 1993-1996, and then became of counsel from 1996-2004. Obama served on the board of directors at the Woods Fund of Chicago from 1994-2002, then served on the board of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge from 1995-2002.

Obama's legislative career began in 1997 when he became Illinois State Senator. He held that position through 2004 after winning several re-elections. As a state senator, Obama promoted welfare reform and aid to low-income workers. He also combated racial profiling. Obama joined the race for U.S. senator in 2004 and won the majority vote in the general election. He assumed office in 2005 and served until 2008. As senator, Obama initiated campaigns for federal spending transparency, criminalized deceptive practices in federal elections, and introduced amendments to the Defense Authorization Act. In 2008, Obama resigned as senator to focus on a campaign for the presidency.

Obama made history when he became president in 2008. He won a second term in 2012; in the second race, he received over 50% of the popular vote in 2012, becoming the second president since Franklin D. Roosevelt to win the popular vote majority more than once. As president, Obama pushed for less military intervention in Iraq and expanded health care for children. He supported stricter gun control and introduced a healthcare reform initiative in 2009.Obama focused on education, the economy, and clean energy in his 2011 State of the Union Address. Obama pushed for better US relations overseas in his second term and supported a global economy. In 2013, he successfully restored US relations with Cuba after decades of stagnant relations.