The Eighteenth Annual Attorney General Bob Abrams Public Service Lecture features Bob Ferguson ’95, the Attorney General for the State of Washington. The lecture is scheduled for Wednesday, September 17 at 6:00 p.m. in Vanderbilt Hall, Tishman Auditorium. A reception will follow immediately after the lecture in Kushner Lounge on the first floor of Vanderbilt Hall.
Students who attend the lecture will receive attendance credit towards PILC Summer Funding.
Meet with Bob Ferguson ‘95
Students who wish to have a short individual meeting with Attorney General Ferguson between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 17 should email pilc.info@nyu.edu with the subject line “Meet with Bob Ferguson” Friday, September 12. Be sure to include your full name and class level in the email body. Spots are limited. PILC will confirm if your meeting is set prior to September 17.
Bob Ferguson ‘95
Elected in 2012, Bob Ferguson is Washington’s 18th Attorney General. As the state’s chief legal officer, he directs 500 attorneys and 600 professional staff.
In his first 20 months in office, Bob is at the center of significant legal matters with national implications, such as navigating the numerous, complex legal issues associated with the legalization of marijuana in Washington State. Moreover, Bob filed a campaign finance lawsuit against the Grocery Manufacturers Association which involves the largest amount of money ever concealed in a Washington State election. He also filed a consumer protection lawsuit against a florist who refused to sell flowers to a gay couple for their wedding.
Bob earned a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Washington, where he was student body president. After graduation, he joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corps where he lived and worked in an inner-city neighborhood tutoring children and directing an emergency services office.
In 1995, Bob received his J.D. from New York University School of Law, where he especially enjoyed classes with Professors Tony Amsterdam and Vicki Been. At NYU, he received a PILC grant and worked in Guadalupe, Arizona with the Yaqui Indian Community. He also worked at Arizona’s Capital Representation Project.
Bob clerked for Chief Judge W. Fremming Nielsen of the Eastern District of Washington, and Judge Myron Bright of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals. Returning to Seattle, he joined the litigation department of Preston, Gates, and Ellis (now K&L Gates).
In 2003, Bob ran for the King County Council against a 20-year incumbent. He won that race by knocking on 22,000 doors. Bob was elected Chair of the King County Council by a unanimous vote of his colleagues. As a three-time member of the bi-partisan budget leadership team, he produced balanced budgets that helped earn the country’s 14th largest county a AAA bond rating.
In 2007, the Aspen Institute selected Bob for its Rodel Fellowship, a public leadership program that brings together a bi-partisan group of 24 of the nation’s most promising elected leaders. The fellowships recognize leaders for their “reputations for intellect, thoughtfulness, and commitment to civil dialogue.”
Bob is a fourth-generation Washingtonian. His ancestors homesteaded on the Skagit River in the 19th century. Bob is one of seven children. His late father, Murray Ferguson, worked as a facilities planner at Boeing for 40 years. Bob’s mother, Betty Ferguson, is a retired special education school teacher. Bob is an enthusiastic mountain climber and backpacker. He has hiked hundreds of miles of Washington trails and climbed many of the state’s highest peaks.
An internationally-rated chess master, Bob’s games have appeared in local, national and international chess publications. He has twice won the Washington State Chess Championship. Bob and his wife, Colleen, reside in Seattle with their 6-year-old twins, Jack and Katie. He looks forward to seeing the Seattle Seahawks repeat as Super Bowl champions.