President George W. Bush today announced his intention to nominate Michael Chertoff, of New Jersey, to be Secretary of Homeland Security. He currently serves as a United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge Chertoff previously served as Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division at the Department of Justice. As Assistant Attorney General, he helped trace the terrorist attacks to the al-Qaida network after September 11 and increased information sharing within the FBI.
Prior to joining the Bush Administration, Judge Chertoff was a Partner in law firm of Latham & Watkins. From 1994 to 1996, he served as Special Counsel for the U.S. Senate Whitewater Committee.
In 1990, Judge Chertoff was appointed by President George H. W. Bush to be United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey. He began his career in public service in 1983, in the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. Judge Chertoff received his bachelor's degree from Harvard University and his J.D. from Harvard Law School.
George W. Bush, Press Release - Personnel Announcement Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/282068