J. Joseph Curran Jr. (born July 7, 1931) is an American lawyer and the longest serving elected attorney general (1987 to 2007) in Maryland history, and previously the fourth lieutenant governor of Maryland from 1983 to 1987.[1] His son-in-law, Martin J. O'Malley, served as the 61st governor of Maryland from 2007 to 2015.

J. Joseph Curran Jr.
Curran in 2012
44th Attorney General of Maryland
In office
January 21, 1987 – January 17, 2007
GovernorWilliam Donald Schaefer
Parris Glendening
Bob Ehrlich
Martin O'Malley
Preceded byStephen H. Sachs
Succeeded byDoug Gansler
4th Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
In office
January 19, 1983 – January 21, 1987
GovernorHarry Hughes
Preceded bySamuel Bogley
Succeeded byMelvin Steinberg
Member of the Maryland State Senate
In office
January 1963 – January 1983
Preceded byJ. Raymond Buffington, Jr.
Succeeded byJohn A. Pica, Jr.
Constituency3rd district (1963–1967)
9th district (1967–1975)
43rd district (1975–1982)
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 3rd district
In office
January 1959 – January 1963
Personal details
Born (1931-07-07) July 7, 1931 (age 93)
West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseBarbara Marie Atkins
Children5, including Katie
Alma materUniversity of Baltimore (BA, LLB)
ProfessionAttorney
Signature
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Air Force
Years of service1951–1955
Battles/warsKorean War

Background

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Curran was born in West Palm Beach, Florida, the son of Catherine Mary (Clark) and Baltimore City Council member J. Joseph Curran Sr.[2][3] He attended Baltimore parochial schools. He graduated from Loyola High School and then from the University of Baltimore. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1951 to 1955. Curran returned to Baltimore and entered the University of Baltimore School of Law where he earned a LL.B. in 1959. Curran was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1959 and is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association.

Career

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A Democrat, Curran previously served as the Lieutenant Governor of Maryland from 1983 to 1987 under Governor Harry Hughes. Prior to that, Curran was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates from 1959 to 1963 and the Maryland Senate from 1963 to 1983.[4]

Attorney general

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Curran in 1985

In 1986, Curran was elected attorney general after serving four years as lieutenant governor under Harry Hughes. In 1990, 1994, 1998, and 2002, he won re-election.[4] Citing his age and his long career, Curran decided not to seek re-election in 2006, preventing any conflict of interest that might arise in having O'Malley as governor and his father-in-law as attorney general.[5]

Family

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Curran is the brother of Martin "Mike" Curran and Robert W. Curran who both also served on the Baltimore City Council.[6] Curran is married, with four living children, three daughters and one son. His wife, Barbara Curran is an esteemed painter. His youngest daughter, Katie, was a state district court judge (2001–2021) and the wife of former Governor Martin O'Malley. His middle daughter, Alice, is the chief financial officer at Miami Country Day School,[7][8] a private school in South Florida. His son, J. Joseph "Max" Curran, is a partner at the Venable law firm. His eldest daughter, Mary Carole Curran, is an accomplished photographer in Baltimore City. His first cousin was Gerald Curran.[9]

Awards and honors

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AARP Maryland named its lifetime achievement award after Curran, which is presented to those "who have exhibited a lifetime of exemplary commitment to volunteerism and civic involvement".[10]

References

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  1. ^ John, Wagner (May 8, 2006). "Curran To Conclude Generation Of Service". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved May 9, 2008.
  2. ^ "Robert Curran, District 3: Baltimore City Council". Baltimore City Council. Archived from the original on July 17, 2015.
  3. ^ "Bio". Councilman Robert Curran. Archived from the original on July 8, 2015.
  4. ^ a b "J. Joseph Curran, Jr., Maryland Attorney General". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. March 14, 2022. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  5. ^ Vogel, Steve (May 9, 2006). "Rally With a Retirement Twist". The Washington Post. p. B02. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved November 2, 2007.
  6. ^ "District 3: Robert Curran". Baltimore City Council. Archived from the original on May 9, 2008. Retrieved May 9, 2008.
  7. ^ "Faculty and Staff Directory". Miami Country Day School. Archived from the original on December 1, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  8. ^ Linskey, Annie (March 4, 2012). "Outspoken first lady fights for those 'on the outside'". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on December 1, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2021. Siblings: Alice Curran Florin
  9. ^ Kelly, Jacques (March 28, 2013). "Gerald J. Curran, state delegate". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on June 14, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  10. ^ "AARP Maryland Announces Honors for Volunteerism, Liftetime Achievement and Community Service". AARP Maryland. October 2021. Archived from the original on December 1, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
Political offices
Preceded by Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
1983–1987
Succeeded by
Legal offices
Preceded by Attorney General of Maryland
1987–2007
Succeeded by