Born 1941 in Santurce, Puerto Rico

Federal Judicial Service:
Judge, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Nominated by William J. Clinton on May 27, 1999, to a seat vacated by Sonia Sotomayor. Confirmed by the Senate on October 1, 1999, and received commission on October 5, 1999. Assumed senior status on December 31, 2010.

Education:
New York University, B.A., 1964
Yale Law School, LL.B., 1968

Professional Career:

Assistant, Mayor John V. Lindsay, New York City, 1968-1970
Assistant administrator and neighborhood director, Model Cities Administration, New York City, 1970-1973
Executive director, Department of City Planning, New York City, 1973-1974
Special counsel to the comptroller, New York City, 1974-1975
First assistant counsel, Gov. Hugh Carey, New York, 1975-1976
Chairman, City Planning Commission, New York City, 1976-1977
Commissioner and vice chairman, New York State Housing Finance Agency, 1978-1979
Undersecretary of housing and urban development, 1979-1981
Private practice, New York City, 1981-1993
U.S. ambassador on the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, 1993-1997
U.S. ambassador and permanent representative of the United States to the Organization of American States, 1998-1999