Many people have wondered if Joyce Vance, the former U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama and a legal analyst for MSNBC, is related to Cyrus Vance Jr., the district attorney of New York County. The speculation stems from the fact that both of them are prominent lawyers and share the same last name. Moreover, Cyrus Vance Jr. is the son of Cyrus Vance Sr., who was also a U.S. attorney and a secretary of state under President Jimmy Carter. So, is there any family connection between Joyce Vance and Cyrus Vance?
The Short Answer: No
According to biographyhost.com, Joyce Vance and Cyrus Vance are not related by blood or marriage. They have different parents, different birthplaces, and different career paths. Joyce Vance was born on July 22, 1960, in St. George, Utah, to Grace Elsie Sloane and Cyrus R. Vance. She grew up in Los Angeles and attended Bates College and the University of Virginia School of Law. She worked as a federal prosecutor in Alabama for over 25 years before becoming the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama in 2009. She resigned in 2017 and joined the University of Alabama School of Law as a distinguished professor. She also became a legal analyst for MSNBC in 2018.
Cyrus Vance Jr. was born on June 14, 1954, in New York City, to Cyrus R. Vance and Grace Elsie Sloane. He attended the Buckley and Groton Schools and graduated from Yale University and Georgetown University Law Center. He worked as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan for five years before moving to Seattle, where he co-founded a law firm and taught at Seattle University School of Law. He returned to New York in 2004 and joined another law firm as a principal. He was elected as the district attorney of New York County in 2009 and re-elected in 2013 and 2017. He announced that he would not seek re-election in 2021.
The Long Answer: A Coincidence of Names
The confusion about the relationship between Joyce Vance and Cyrus Vance may have arisen from a coincidence of names. Both of them have the same middle name, Roberts, which is also the maiden name of Cyrus Vance Sr.’s mother. However, this does not mean that they are related, as Roberts is a common surname in the United States.
Another source of confusion may be the fact that both Joyce Vance and Cyrus Vance Jr. have connections to President Barack Obama. Joyce Vance was one of the first five U.S. attorneys nominated by Obama in 2009, while Cyrus Vance Jr. was reportedly considered by Obama for the position of deputy attorney general in 2009, but declined to pursue his campaign for district attorney.
Furthermore, both Joyce Vance and Cyrus Vance Jr. have been involved in high-profile cases that have attracted media attention. Joyce Vance has provided legal commentary on MSNBC about the Mueller investigation, the impeachment trials, and other political news. She has also been vocal about criminal justice reform, voting rights, and civil rights issues. Cyrus Vance Jr. has prosecuted cases involving sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein, tax fraud charges against Donald Trump’s company, and corruption charges against former New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.
However, despite these similarities, Joyce Vance and Cyrus Vance are not related in any way. They are simply two lawyers who happen to share a common surname and a passion for justice.
Conclusion
Joyce Vance is not related to Cyrus Vance Jr., nor is she related to Cyrus Vance Sr., who was his father and a former U.S. attorney and secretary of state. They are two different people with different backgrounds, careers, and achievements. The rumor that they are related is based on a coincidence of names and a lack of information.
