Thomas Howard Geoghegan left a promising career in journalism to make a name for himself as a public interest lawyer. Dubbed one of America’s “greatest living progressives,” he has counseled numerous plaintiffs in cases covering labor, employment, health, pension, and consumer welfare. He ran as a Democrat for Congress in the Fifth District of Illinois in 2009.

From the outset, Tom Geoghegan has always been a writer. During his studies at Harvard University, he joined the staff of the school’s publication, The Crimson. He graduated magna cum laude in 1971, after which The New Republic made him a contributing editor.

Preferring a life in public service, Tom Geoghegan departed from The New Republic and enrolled in Harvard Law School in 1972. He graduated in 1975 and entered the Bar.

Shortly afterwards, he acted as legal counsel for the United Mine Workers in Washington D.C. In this capacity, he helped win the case filed by a Kentucky mine worker against Duke Power Co. The film Harlan County, USA is based on this case.

In 1977, Tom Geoghegan became a policy analyst for the US Department of Energy, where he established his status by drafting congressional proposals. With Secretary James Schlesinger and Assistant Secretary Alvin Alm, he edited the landmark National Energy Plan II.

Two years later, Tom Geoghegan met his protégé, the Chicago-based lawyer Leon Despres. Working for Despres’ firm, he led some high profile suits to victory, including one lodged by 2,500 steelworkers against International Harvester.

Besides The New Republic, Tom Geoghegan has written for The New York Times, Harpers, The Chicago Tribune, The London Financial Times, Salon, The Nation, The American Prospect, and Slate. Furthermore, he is the author of several nonfiction books, starting with 1991’s Which Side Are You On?, a National Book Critics Circle Award nominee. Other titles by him include The Secret Lives of Citizens, See You in Court, and In America’s Court.

Tom Geoghegan has held fellowships at the Institute of Politics at Harvard’s Kennedy School and the American Academy in Germany. In 2001, he became a Fulbright scholar and taught law at Germany’s Humboldt University.