Mary Cheh

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.{{cite news |title=Find shared interests: Mary Cheh |author=Alan Suderman |work=Staying Power: Archive |publisher=Washington Post |date=November 18, 2011 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsandliving/weddings/staying-power/archive.html }}

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.[http://www.law.gwu.edu/Faculty/profile.aspx?id=1715 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.concordlawschool.edu/lecturers/mary-cheh.aspx |title=Law School Lecturer - Mary Cheh at Concord Law School |access-date=2014-07-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140727003737/http://www.concordlawschool.edu/lecturers/mary-cheh.aspx |archive-date=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.[http://nimj.org/nimjblog/nimj-officers/ Nimj.org] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120520002405/http://nimj.org/nimjblog/nimj-officers/ |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 School[http://blogs.gwhatchet.com/newsroom/2014/05/23/evans-cheh-make-most-money-outside-d-c-council/ Evans, Cheh make most money outside D.C. Council - Newsroom] and teaches bar review lectures during the summer months.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}}

Cheh was first elected to the Council of the District of Columbia in 2006, defeating her Republican opponent Theresa Conroy.[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/elections/2006/dc/DC_Council_Ward_3.html 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 Hedgepeth.http://projects.washingtonpost.com/elections/2010/dc/city-councilor/1651/{{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.{{Cite web |url=http://dccouncil.us/committees/committee-on-transportation-and-the-environment |title=Committee on Transportation and the Environment {{!}} Council of the District of Columbia |access-date=2014-02-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140223154741/http://www.dccouncil.us/committees/committee-on-transportation-and-the-environment |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.[http://washingtonexaminer.com/cheh-replaces-evans-as-d.c.-council-chair-pro-tempore/article/138939 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.[http://dcclims1.dccouncil.us/lims/searchbymember.aspx DC Council] She has led five major Council investigations: CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield's failure to comply with its nonprofit mission,[https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-wire/post/cheh-calls-for-public-forums-on-carefirst/2010/12/20/ABguEFG_blog.html Cheh Calls for Public Forums on CareFirst - D.C. Wire - The Washington Post] 2008 election electronic voting failures[http://www.gwhatchet.com/2008/09/18/d-c-city-council-investigates-voting-malfunction-in-primary/ D.C. City Council investigates voting malfunction in primary - The GW Hatchet] Mayoral personnel practices,{{cite web|url=http://www.afro.com/sections/news/washington/story.htm?storyid%3D72521 |title=Cheh Introduces Hiring Bill in Wake of Gray Administration Scandal | the Afro-American Newspapers | Your Community. Your History. Your News |access-date=2014-02-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221194434/http://www.afro.com/sections/news/washington/story.htm?storyid=72521 |archive-date=2014-02-21 }} the improper donation of District fire trucks to the Dominican Republic,[https://web.archive.org/web/20100126141442/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dc/2010/01/nickles_wants_councils_firetru.html D.C. Wire - Nickles wants council's firetruck probe terminated] and procurement practices at the Office of the Chief Technology Officer.[http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2010/07/12/daily13.html?page=all Office of Chief Technology Officer relied too much on under-qualified firms, report says - Washington Business Journal]

Cheh 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.{{Cite web |url=http://dchealthyschools.org/ |title=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/20140222052444/http://dchealthyschools.org/ |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.[http://blogs.gwhatchet.com/newsroom/2013/09/17/cheh-evans-pass-legislation-to-protect-uber-from-city-regulations/ Cheh, Evans pass legislation to protect Uber from city regulations - Newsroom]

In February 2022, Cheh announced that she would not seek a fifth term as Councilmember.{{cite news |last=Koma|first=Alex |title=Mary Cheh Will Not Seek Fifth Term As Ward 3 Councilmember|url=https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/547530/mary-cheh-will-not-seek-fifth-term-as-ward-3-councilmember/|date=February 11, 2022|access-date= February 11, 2022 }}

Cheh currently serves on the following committees:{{cite web | url=http://www.marycheh.com/about/ | title=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

Cheh married New York Times reporter Neil Lewis with whom she has two children.{{cite news |last=Debonis |first=Mike |date=February 3, 2009 |title=Cheh on Brooks: "He Should Be Ashamed of Himself!" |url=https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/city-desk/blog/13057426/cheh-on-brooks-he-should-be-ashamed-of-himself |work=Washington City Paper |location=Washington DC |access-date=February 3, 2018 }}{{cite news |last=Smith-Barrow|first= Delece |title=Staying Power: Archive Advice from couples around the Beltway and beyond on keeping the love alive|url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsandliving/weddings/staying-power/archive.html|access-date= February 3, 2018 }}

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.law.gwu.edu/Faculty/profile.aspx?id=1715 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)

• [http://www.marycheh.com Mary Cheh Council Website]
• [https://www.cheh2022.com Cheh Campaign Website]

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{{s-bef|before=Kathy Patterson}}

{{s-ttl|title=Member of the Council of the District of Columbia
from Ward 3|years=2007–2023}}

{{s-aft|after=Matthew Frumin}}

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Category:1950 births

Category:21st-century American women politicians

Category:American legal scholars

Category:George Washington University Law School faculty

Category:Harvard Law School alumni

Category:Living people

Category:Members of the Council of the District of Columbia

Category:Politicians from Elizabeth, New Jersey

Category:Rutgers School of Law–Newark alumni

Category:Rutgers University alumni

Category:Washington, D.C., Democrats

Category:Women city councillors in the District of Columbia

Category:American women legal scholars

Category:21st-century Washington, D.C., politicians