Lawyer and politician George Mitchell was a member of the Senate for 15 years, eventually becoming Senate Majority Leader. After his time at the Senate, he worked as an ambassador and investigator helping to broker the Northern Ireland peace accords and presiding over an investigation into the use of steroids in baseball. DLA Piper: Our People: George J. Mitchell Mitchell was named special envoy to the Middle East for the Obama administration January 22, 2009.BBC News: Obama appoints key hotspot envoys (January 23, 2009) On January 26, Mitchell embarked upon his first trip to the region, visiting foreign leaders of many countries but will not meet with Hamas.Jerusalem Post: US envoy won't meet with Hamas, stop in Syria ME trip (January 26, 2009)

After earning a degree in law from Georgetown, Mitchell became an attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice in the early 1960s. He would later take his law practice to Maine, where he began his political career.DLA Piper: Our People: George J. Mitchell

On January 22, 2009, President Barack Obama named Mitchell special envoy for the Middle East. Mitchell has said he believes peace can be achieved between a Jewish and a Palestinian state, saying "there is no such thing as a conflict that can't be ended." Mitchell previously served as a Mideast special envoy during the Bush administration. He also served as a U.S. special envoy to Northern Ireland.CNN: George Mitchell named special envoy for the Middle East (January 22, 2009)

On January 26, 2009, Mitchell embarked on his first trip to the Middle East. He planned to meet with Israel, the West Bank, Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. He was not planning to meet with Hamas or the Palestinian authority during the trip. Jerusalem Post: US envoy won't meet with Hamas, stop in Syria ME trip (January 26, 2009)

George Mitchell led a thorough investigation of past steroid use in Major League Baseball from. He released his findings in the so-called "Mitchell Report" during a press conference on December 14, 2007. The report included a list of players accused of using steroids. The list included many well-known baseball players including Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.DLA Piper: Our People: George J. Mitchell

• Current Projects:
  • Chairman, DLA Piper
  • Director, Boston Red Sox
  • Lead Counsel, Preti, Flaherty, Beliveau, Pachios & Haley
  • U.S. Special Envoy to Northern Ireland
  • Chancellor, Queen's University at Belfast

• Past Projects:
  • Chairman, The Walt Disney Company
  • Chairman, Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand

• August 20, 1933: Born in Waterville, Maine

• 1977: Appointed U.S. Attorney by President Jimmy Carter

• 1979: Appointed to District Court of Maine

• May 17, 1980: Elected to the U.S. Senate

• January 3, 1989: Appointed Senate Majority Leader

• 1994: Declines offer to serve on The U.S. Supreme Court by President Bill Clinton

• March 4, 2004: Elected Chairman of Disney's Board of Directors, replacing Michael Eisner

• June 15, 2005: Releases findings of his Congressional Task Force on The United Nations

• August 10, 2007: Diagnosed with prostate cancer