Maureen Kraemer Ohlhausen (born April 5, 1962) is an American lawyer who is a former Commissioner of the
Federal Trade Commission, a position she held from April 4, 2012, to September 25, 2018.
On January 26, 2017, President
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
designated Ohlhausen to serve as Acting Chairwoman of the FTC. In January 2018, she was nominated by President Trump to a seat on the
United States Court of Federal Claims
The United States Court of Federal Claims (in case citations, Fed. Cl. or C.F.C.) is a United States federal court that hears monetary claims against the U.S. government. It was established by statute in 1982 as the United States Claims Court, ...
. Ohlhausen withdrew her nomination for the federal judiciary in December 2018, opting instead to join
Baker Botts
Baker Botts L.L.P. is an American law firm of around 725 lawyers. Headquartered in One Shell Plaza in Downtown Houston, Texas, the firm has energy and technology related clients. It is referred to as the second-oldest law firm west of the Mi ...
as partner and co-chair of the firm's antitrust practice.
Early legal career and education
Ohlhausen earned her
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...
, with honors, from the
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...
in 1984, and received a
Juris Doctor with distinction from
George Mason University in 1991.
She clerked for Judge
Robert Yock of the
United States Court of Federal Claims
The United States Court of Federal Claims (in case citations, Fed. Cl. or C.F.C.) is a United States federal court that hears monetary claims against the U.S. government. It was established by statute in 1982 as the United States Claims Court, ...
from 1991 to 1992 and later spent five years at the
, serving as a law clerk for Judge
David B. Sentelle and as a staff attorney.
Ohlhausen previously served at the FTC for eleven years, most recently as Director of the Office of Policy Planning from 2004 to 2008, where she led the FTC's Internet Access Task Force. She was also Deputy Director of that office. From 1998 to 2001, Ohlhausen was an attorney advisor for former FTC Commissioner
Orson Swindle, advising him on competition and consumer protection matters. She started at the FTC General Counsel's Office in 1997.
Ohlhausen was on the adjunct faculty at
George Mason University School of Law
The Antonin Scalia Law School (previously George Mason University School of Law) is the law school of George Mason University, a public research university in Virginia. It is located in Arlington, Virginia, roughly west of Washington, D.C., a ...
, where she taught privacy law and unfair trade practices. She served as a senior editor of the ''
Antitrust Law Journal'' and as a member of the
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of aca ...
's Task Force on Competition and Public Policy. She has authored a variety of articles on competition law, privacy, and technology matters.
From 2009 to 2012, Ohlhausen was a partner at Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP, where she focused on FTC issues, including privacy, data protection, and cybersecurity.
In 2012, President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
nominated Ohlhausen to the
Federal Trade Commission, where she served until her term expired in September 2018.
Nomination to Court of Federal Claims
On January 23, 2018, President
Trump
Trump most commonly refers to:
* Donald Trump (born 1946), 45th president of the United States (2017–2021)
* Trump (card games), any playing card given an ad-hoc high rank
Trump may also refer to:
Businesses and organizations
* Donald J. T ...
announced his intent to nominate Ohlhausen to an undetermined seat on the
United States Court of Federal Claims
The United States Court of Federal Claims (in case citations, Fed. Cl. or C.F.C.) is a United States federal court that hears monetary claims against the U.S. government. It was established by statute in 1982 as the United States Claims Court, ...
. On January 24, 2018, her nomination was sent to the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
. She was nominated to the seat vacated by Judge
Lawrence J. Block, who retired on January 8, 2016. On May 9, 2018, a hearing on her nomination was held before the
Senate Judiciary Committee
The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations ...
. On June 7, 2018, her nomination was reported by the Judiciary Committee by a party-line vote of 11–10.
In December 2018, Ohlhausen announced that she had withdrawn her nomination for the federal judiciary, opting instead to join
Baker Botts
Baker Botts L.L.P. is an American law firm of around 725 lawyers. Headquartered in One Shell Plaza in Downtown Houston, Texas, the firm has energy and technology related clients. It is referred to as the second-oldest law firm west of the Mi ...
as partner and co-chair of the firm's antitrust practice. She said "The nomination was a great honor, but when it became clear that I was unlikely to get confirmed before my
TCterm ended, I began to look and went out into the market."
Memberships
She has been a member of the
Federalist Society
The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies (abbreviated as FedSoc) is an American conservative and libertarian legal organization that advocates for a textualist and originalist interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. Headquarter ...
since 1992.
[United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees: Maureen Ohlhausen](_blank)
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Personal life
Ohlhausen lives in Virginia with her husband, Peter Ohlhausen, and their four children.
See also
* Donald Trump judicial appointment controversies
References
External links
*
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ohlhausen, Maureen Kraemer
1962 births
Living people
20th-century American lawyers
21st-century American lawyers
Antonin Scalia Law School alumni
Federal Trade Commission personnel
Federalist Society members
George Mason University School of Law faculty
Obama administration personnel
People from the Bronx
Trump administration personnel
University of Virginia alumni
Women legal scholars
20th-century American women lawyers
21st-century American women lawyers
People associated with Baker Botts