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{{short description|American politician from Washington, D.C.}}

factoids

| birth_place = Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S.| death_date = | death_place = Democratic Party (United States)>DemocraticNeil Lewis (journalist)>Neil LewisRutgers University–New Brunswick>Rutgers University, New Brunswick {{smallBachelor of Arts>BA)}}Rutgers University–Newark {{small>(Juris Doctor)}}Harvard University {{small>(LLM)}}marycheh.com}}}}Mary M. Cheh {{IPAc-en|ˈ|tʃ|eɪ}} (born 1950WEB, The George Washington University Law School [profile], Martindale.com,weblink 2008-08-02, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080724030922weblink">weblink July 24, 2008, ) is an American Democratic politician from Washington, D.C. From 2007 to 2023, she served on the Council of the District of Columbia representing Ward 3.

Background and family

Mary Cheh was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey. The first in her family to graduate from high school, Cheh is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Douglass College (the women's college of Rutgers University–New Brunswick) and has law degrees from Rutgers School of Law-Newark and Harvard Law School.Cheh has been a resident of Ward 3 since 1980. She has two daughters, Jane and Nora, who were born and raised in the District, attended Murch Elementary School and Georgetown Day School, and now work as lawyers.NEWS, Find shared interests: Mary Cheh, Alan Suderman, Staying Power: Archive, Washington Post, November 18, 2011,weblink

Professional experience

Upon graduation from law school, Cheh served as a law clerk to the Hon. Richard J. Hughes, chief justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court. Cheh then joined the Washington office of Fried, Frank, Shriver, Harris & Kempleman as an associate. In 1979, Cheh joined the George Washington University Law School, becoming the Elyce Zenoff Research Professor of Law.GW Law – Faculty Directory There, she has received teaching and service awards and serves as a member and former chair of the George Washington Law Public Interest Committee. Cheh is also a guest lecturer in Constitutional Law at the Concord School of Law.WEB,weblink Law School Lecturer - Mary Cheh at Concord Law School, 2014-07-22, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140727003737weblink">weblink 2014-07-27, In 1983, Cheh took a sabbatical to do pro bono work in South Africa for the Centre for Applied Legal Studies. Then in 1986, she served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in D.C. She has been a visiting professor at the Concord School of Law, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill and the University of California – Hastings.Cheh has also served as a consultant to the National Institute of Justice and the President's Commission on Organized Crime, and she chaired the subcommittee on criminal justice for the D.C. Circuit Court's Task Force on Gender.Nimj.org {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120520002405weblink |date=2012-05-20 }}Cheh currently serves as a member of the Rules Committee of the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, on the Board of Directors of the National Institute of Military Justice, and as a member of the ACLU Litigation Screening Committee.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}} She has been and continues to be a frequent speaker and media commentator on legal affairs. Cheh works as a professor at the George Washington University Law SchoolEvans, Cheh make most money outside D.C. Council - Newsroom and teaches bar review lectures during the summer months.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}}

Career as Councilmember

Cheh was first elected to the Council of the District of Columbia in 2006, defeating her Republican opponent Theresa Conroy.Election Profile - D.C. Council, Ward 3 (washingtonpost.com) Cheh replaced Kathy Patterson, who unsuccessfully ran for the seat of Chair of the Council. Cheh was reelected in 2010 by a substantial margin over Republican candidate David Hedgepethweblink{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}As Councilmember, Cheh has chaired several committees, currently serving as Chair of the Committee on Transportation and the Environment.WEB,weblink Committee on Transportation and the Environment {{!, Council of the District of Columbia |access-date=2014-02-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140223154741weblink |archive-date=2014-02-23 |url-status=dead }} Previously, she chaired the Committee on Public Services and Consumer Affairs and the Committee on Government Operations.Cheh served as Chair Pro Tempore from 2010 until 2012, when she became the temporary chair due to the resignation of Chairman Kwame Brown on June 6, 2012.Cheh replaces Evans as D.C. Council chair pro tempore | WashingtonExaminer.com She stepped down from that role when Phil Mendelson was elected chair on June 13, 2012.During her time on the Council, Cheh has introduced over 850 separate bills and resolutions.DC Council She has led five major Council investigations: CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield's failure to comply with its nonprofit mission,Cheh Calls for Public Forums on CareFirst - D.C. Wire - The Washington Post 2008 election electronic voting failuresD.C. City Council investigates voting malfunction in primary - The GW Hatchet Mayoral personnel practices,WEB,weblink Cheh Introduces Hiring Bill in Wake of Gray Administration Scandal | the Afro-American Newspapers | Your Community. Your History. Your News, 2014-02-18, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140221194434weblink">weblink 2014-02-21, the improper donation of District fire trucks to the Dominican Republic,D.C. Wire - Nickles wants council's firetruck probe terminated and procurement practices at the Office of the Chief Technology Officer.Office of Chief Technology Officer relied too much on under-qualified firms, report says - Washington Business JournalCheh has authored several comprehensive reform measures. The Healthy Schools Act of 2010 makes breakfast free to all DCPS and public charter school students; enhances the nutrition of school meals by including more whole grains, a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, less fat, and less sodium; requires schools to serve locally-grown, unprocessed foods in school meals whenever possible; and increases the amount of physical activity and health education required of students.WEB,weblink D.C. Healthy Schools Act {{!, Tackling childhood obesity and hunger in Washington, DC |access-date=2014-02-18 |archive-date=2014-02-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222052444weblink |url-status=dead }} The Omnibus Election Reform Act of 2009 allows for pre-registration for voters who will be 18 at the time of the next election, provides for early voting, and permits individuals to vote on Election Day. Furthermore, the Clean and Affordable Energy Act of 2008 created the District of Columbia Sustainable Energy Utility, which administers sustainable energy programs in the District.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}}Cheh introduced the Taxicab Service Improvement Amendment Act of 2012, which requires taxis in the District to use GPS, credit card readers and modern meters, and uniform dome lights and color schemes. Similarly, she co-sponsored introduced emergency measures to keep application-based services like Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar street legal.Cheh, Evans pass legislation to protect Uber from city regulations - NewsroomIn February 2022, Cheh announced that she would not seek a fifth term as Councilmember.NEWS, Koma, Alex, Mary Cheh Will Not Seek Fifth Term As Ward 3 Councilmember,weblink February 11, 2022, February 11, 2022,

Committees

Cheh currently serves on the following committees:WEB,weblink Ward 3 D.C. Councilmember Mary Cheh » About Mary,

• Committee on Transportation and the Environment (Chair)
• Committee on Judiciary
• Committee on Health and Human Services

Personal life

Cheh married New York Times reporter Neil Lewis with whom she has two children.NEWS, Debonis, Mike, February 3, 2009, Cheh on Brooks: "He Should Be Ashamed of Himself!",weblink Washington City Paper, Washington DC, February 3, 2018, NEWS, Smith-Barrow, Delece, Staying Power: Archive Advice from couples around the Beltway and beyond on keeping the love alive,weblink February 3, 2018,

References

{{reflist}}

Further reading

• Profile of Mary Cheh at website for George Washington University Law School
• Cheh, Mary M. Criminal Procedure 2nd ed. St. Paul, MN : Thomson West, c2005. ix, 285 p. 28 cm. {{ISBN|0-314-16736-6}} (alk. paper)

External links

• Mary Cheh Council Website
• Cheh Campaign Website

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