Born in 1951, Eric Holder Jr.’s birthday aligns with this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Holder’s education began in New York City public schools before he attended Columbia College in New York City for his undergraduate degree and Columbia Law School for his JD. During his university years, Holder was a law clerk for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

After joining the Department of Justice in 1976, Holder gradually climbed the government ranks as a judge and attorney in Washington, D.C. Under President Bill Clinton, Holder earned the title of the first African-American deputy attorney general. More than 10 years later, and after working in private practice and on President Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, Holder was sworn in as the first African-American attorney general.

After six years in office, he returned to the private law firm Covington & Burling, where he currently works.