Stay Tuned to This Space for Reunion Details!
How to Post Your Reunion Announcement
VIEW ALL REUNIONS

Class News

Today's Featured Biography

 
Artie Goldberg

From our 40th:
I suppose I've lived an astonishingly normal, but nonetheless fulfilling life, both
personally and professionally. I recall Sandy Cherry describing his life at our 30th
reunion as "living the life of Ozzie & Harriet." Well, here in D.C., the "Nelsons" are also
alive and well. We even have two boys (now young adults): David and Marc, instead of
David and Ricky. In our case David is the musician/entertainer, while Marc is the
thoughtful, more serious one.
But to back up a bit, after college (Princeton) I met Harriet, er, I mean Sarajane, while I
was in law school at Georgetown. We got married in 1974 (the second most significant
event that year, as I'm sure everyone recalls, was Nixon's resignation). So I've spent the
past 31+ years with an incredibly lovely, sensitive and creative person (which proves
conclusively that opposites do attract), who has enriched my life beyond description.
Our two boys are grown, but we're not quite empty nesters. (The boomerang generation.)
Marc, who was married in 2001, has been in the Peace Corps in Moldova with his wife,
Chrissy for almost 2 years. They will return home in December and live with us while
they figure out what's next -- probably grad school. David, who graduated from college
last year, and who just returned from 3 months and 17,000 miles of driving through
almost every state in the union, is now living with us while he figures out what's next --
probably grad school also at some point.
I never really had a burning desire to be a lawyer, but at the time it seemed like a good
way of putting off getting a real job when I was mulling over my options as a college
senior. After a year as a law clerk for a Justice on the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, I
chose a career as a litigator, which has suited me very well. In 1982, after a couple of
jobs that were not completely satisfying, I started working in the Civil Division of the
Department of Justice, where I've been ever since and where I, no doubt, will finish my
career. The work here is consistently fascinating, including defending constitutional
challenges to new legislation, government programs and policy initiatives. I never had an
urge to go into politics, but from my vantage point over the last 23 years, I've had an
unbelievable insight into how government decisions are made, and occasionally have
offered advice that gets translated into policy.
I've tried and argued cases all over the country; I've had 4 or 5 cases go to the Supreme
Court; was involved with the investigation into the Waco-Branch Davidian incident; and
back in the 80's I even had one case become the basis for a movie -- "Country," starring
Jessica Lange and Sam Shepard -- I was the bad guy because my opposing counsel was
the technical advisor on the film. Most rewarding of all, I've had the opportunity to teach
and train younger attorneys and to watch them develop.
As soon as I can figure out what my next career will be, I may think about retiring from
this one. In the meantime, Sarajane and I have been doing as much traveling as our
schedules allow. We've become interested in "RVing," and at the time of the Reunion,
will have just returned from our second RV trip in the past couple of years. We'll
probably buy one eventually and hope to spend a few months each year going any- and
everywhere. Other retirement plans include spending at least 6 months in Homer, Alaska,
one of the most beautiful places I've seen; or finding seasonal work in some of the
National Parks in the Southwest; and last but not least, spending as much time as I can
watching D.C.'s new baseball team --- the Washington Nationals.

VIEW ALL BIOGRAPHIES

U.S. Armed Forces

Class Poll

Featured Links

Visit Other Classes