Manuel A. Miranda

10/18/1959 - 11/08/2025

Born in Havana, Cuba, on October 18, 1959—nine months after Fidel Castro entered the city—he liked to joke that it showed how differently people can react to a revolution. At age two, he immigrated with his parents and sister to Spain, where he attended a one-room school in the mountain town of Tineo. In 1966, the family immigrated again, arriving in New York City, NY with two children, two suitcases, and no English.
Miranda earned a degree from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, where he was a Circumnavigators Foundation Scholar, and a Juris Doctor from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. He began his career with the International Organization for Migration in Geneva, traveling widely to assist in refugee resettlement.
After law school, he built a distinguished career in international law at major firms including White & Case and Reid & Priest, specializing in project finance, energy development, and international investment. He later served as Legal Counsel to the U.S. Senate Majority Leader and as Counsel to the Chairman of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.
During the Iraq War, he served as a U.S. State Department diplomat at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. Among his achievements was helping negotiate the national reconciliation between Iraq's Bar Association and the Kurdistan Bar Association, a step that expanded access to justice for the Iraqi people.
Miranda was also an accomplished writer and commentator. He published frequently, including columns for The Wall Street Journal, and lectured at dozens of law schools. He was honored with the Ronald Reagan Award for his advocacy work.
For more than 40 years, he mentored generations of Georgetown students, encouraging rigorous thinking, lively debate, and public service. He helped strengthen several of the university's debate societies and was a member of both the Stewards Society and the Second Stewards Society.
Manny met his wife, Leslie Burnworth George, at a fundraiser at the Finnish Embassy—an encounter that led to their longstanding joke that they had "met in Finland." Their son, Roque Manuel Miranda, a student at the University of Chicago, brought him immense pride and was his greatest joy. Died November 8, 2025. Service private.