(born 1956), African American lawyer who served as assistant attorney general in charge of the civil-rights division of the Justice Department during the Clinton Administration. Deval Laurdine Patrick was born in Chicago to Emily and Pat Patrick. His father, a jazz musician, left the family when Deval was 4 years old, and the family lived on welfare while he studied at a public school near Chicago's infamous Robert Taylor Homes. Patrick received a scholarship to the prestigious Milton Academy in Massachusetts and later studied at Harvard University. There he worked for the Legal Aid Bureau, and after graduation he worked for the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund before becoming a partner at the Boston law firm of Hill and Barlow. In 1994, President Bill Clinton nominated him as assistant attorney general under Janet Reno. Patrick was Clinton's third nominee for that position. The first two, Lani Guinier and John Payton, faced strong opposition, and their nominations were withdrawn. Patrick was confirmed easily after winning bipartisan support. In the position Patrick led a department of 240 lawyers and brought his years of pro bono work and dedication to civil rights. His division dealt with such concerns as housing bias, voting rights, and rights of the disabled.