Congressman Steve Cohen is a fourth-generation Memphian who has served the 9th District of Tennessee since 2007 and dedicated his life to public service. He first filed to run for office on the same day he first registered to vote – just after his 21st birthday. With this choice, Congressman Cohen stepped onto the path of public service that has defined his life and shaped the lives not only of people in Memphis, but communities across the country throughout his career in local, state and national politics. A graduate of Vanderbilt University, he graduated from the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, then Memphis State University College of Law, in 1973. From 1978 to 2006, Cohen was the sole practitioner of his own law firm, practicing both civil and criminal law. While serving for three years as legal advisor for the Memphis Police Department, Cohen rose to political prominence when he was elected vice president of the Tennessee Constitutional Convention of 1977 at age 27. He was then elected to serve as a commissioner on the Shelby County Commission, serving from 1978 to 1980. During this time, Cohen served as an interim Shelby County General Sessions Court judge and was elected to the Tennessee Senate in 1982 where he represented the 30th district. In 2006, Cohen was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Congressman Cohen was appointed Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties in 2019. As Chairman, he presided at the first hearing on reparations to African Americans for slavery and Jim Crow. He also chaired historic hearings on the Voting Rights Act, the Equal Rights Amendment, access to abortion, reparations, presidential pardon power, and other constitutional and civil rights issues. He has been recognized with numerous awards and honors and has held many leadership positions on boards and committees that champion community involvement and the betterment of society. Congressman Cohen has remained a steadfast leader on issues of importance to the people of the 9th District, working closely with Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden to lead the policy debate on issues like education, infant mortality, the economy, criminal justice, veterans’ issues, transportation, infrastructure and health care.
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