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Meet Charles Oberly

By Leah Nylen

Charles M. Oberly III (Drinker Biddle)

Charles Oberly (The Pennsylvania State University, University of Virginia School of Law) was nominated on Sept. 16 to be the U.S. Attorney for Delaware. He would succeed Colm Connolly, who resigned as U.S. Attorney in 2007.

His vitals:

• Born in Wilmington, Del., in 1946.
• Has been of counsel at Drinker, Biddle and Reath LLP in Wilmington since 2009.
• Served as an instructor, teaching courses on  Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure and Criminal Evidence, in the Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology at the University of Delaware from 1980 until June 2010.
• Was an income partner at WolfBlock LLP (now dissolved) in Wilmington from 2008 to 2009.
• Served as partner at Oberly, Jennings & Rhodunda PA (firm later merged with WolfBlock LLP) in Wilmington from 1995 to 2008.
• Served as attorney general of Delaware from 1983 to 1995.
• Lost an election for the U.S. Senate in 1994 against U.S. Sen. William Roth (R).
• Served as Delaware deputy attorney general from 1979 to 1983 and from 1975 to 1976.
• Served as a state prosecutor for the Delaware Department of Justice from 1976 to 1979.
• Was an associate at Morris James Hitchens & Williams LLP (now Morris James LLP) in Wilmington from 1972 to 1975.
• Clerked for U.S. District Court Judge James L. Latchum in Wilmington from 1971 to 1972.
• Attended Wesley Junior College from 1964 to 1966.
• Has tried about 75 cases to verdict, serving as chief counsel in about 10 to 15 cases and as associate counsel in less than 10.
• Served as a court-appointed arbitrator in about five cases.

Click here for his Senate Judiciary questionnaire.

On his Office of Government Ethics financial disclosure, Oberly reported making $216,087.36 as of counsel at Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP and $285,541 as a partner at WolfBlock LLP in 2009. He also made $14,750 as an instructor at the University of Delaware from 2009 to 2010.

Full post as published by Main Justice on September 30, 2010 (boomark / email).