Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson ushers in new era for Black women on the federal bench
Meet the 47 Black women actively serving as federal judges
At the end of June, Ketanji Brown Jackson made history as the first Black woman to become a justice of the Supreme Court. The U.S. Senate had voted 53-47 in April to confirm her nomination. And just hours after the court wrapped up its term and outgoing Justice Stephen Breyer officially retired, Jackson took the oath of office from Chief Justice John Roberts while her husband and children looked on.
Jackson’s trailblazing journey began not far from the steps of the Supreme Court itself. She was born in Washington to parents who were both graduates of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). While she was in preschool, her father, Johnny Brown, attended law school. Jackson has said that her love of the law goes back to sitting next to him at home during his study sessions. As she worked her way through coloring books, he read cases. Ultimately, he became the chief attorney for the Miami-Dade County School Board, inspiring his daughter to follow in his footsteps.
When President Barack Obama nominated Jackson to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Circuit in September 2012, she became one of the few Black female federal judges in the nation. According to a Federal Judicial Center biographical database, just 70 of the 3,843 people who have served as U.S. federal judges – fewer than 2% – have been Black women. Judith Ann Wilson Rogers, nominated to the federal bench by President Bill Clinton and confirmed in March 1994, has served the longest. At the time of her confirmation, she became just the fourth woman to be appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Like Jackson, Rogers is a Harvard Law School alumna.
The newest Black woman to join the federal bench is Trina Lynn Thompson, a former public defender nominated by President Joe Biden to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The Senate confirmed her nomination on May 18.
Of the 59 Black women currently serving on federal district or appellate courts, 47 are considered to be active. And of those 47, 26 were first appointed by Obama. A plurality (around 38%) attended Ivy League law schools, 14 judges attended state law schools and four went to HBCUs. About 20% of the active Black female federal judges are former prosecutors, and 25% have experience as defense attorneys. Currently, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois has the most Black female judges, with three: Sharon Johnson Coleman, Sara Lee Ellis and Andrea Robin Wood.
During his presidential campaign, Biden vowed to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court, and that promise was fulfilled when he tapped Jackson to replace Breyer. Besides Jackson, Biden also considered two other Black women for Breyer’s seat: Leondra Kruger, an associate justice of the Supreme Court of California, and J. Michelle Childs, a judge for the U.S. District Court in South Carolina.
Jackson’s confirmation to the Supreme Court marks a new chapter for Black women in the highest echelons of judicial power, though it has undoubtedly been long overdue. Her tenure begins as the Supreme Court faces historic levels of public distrust, especially in the wake of the recent ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, effectively stripping many Americans of their constitutional right to an abortion. As the first Black woman on the Supreme Court (and the third Black person overall), all eyes will be on Jackson as she navigates an increasingly fractured institution.
As Jackson settles into her new role, we’re taking a look at the roster of Black women actively serving on the federal district or appellate bench. Who knows, maybe one of these judicial stars will one day be joining Jackson on the highest court in the land.
Arenda Lauretta Wright Allen
Nominated by: Barack Obama | Confirmed: May 11, 2011 | Education: Kutztown State College (1982); North Carolina Central University School of Law (1985) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
A former Navy JAG corp member, Judge Arenda Lauretta Wright Allen also served as a federal public defender before being nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. (Photo by Newport News Daily Press/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Wendy Beetlestone
Nominated by: Barack Obama | Confirmed: Nov. 20, 2014
| Education: Liverpool University (1984); University of Pennsylvania Law School (1993) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
A former television news producer, Judge Wendy Beetlestone served as general counsel for the School District of Philadelphia and was in private practice before being nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. (Photo by U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania)
Irene Cornelia Berger
Nominated by: Barack Obama | Confirmed: Oct. 27, 2009
| Education: West Virginia University (1976); West Virginia University College of Law (1979) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia
Before being nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, Judge Irene Cornelia Berger worked as a staff attorney at the Legal Aid of West Virginia and served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia. (Photo by Irene Cornelia Berger)
Loretta Copeland Biggs
Nominated by: Barack Obama | Confirmed: Dec. 16, 2014
| Education: Spelman College (1976); Howard University School of Law (1979) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina
Judge Loretta Copeland Biggs served as staff counsel for the Coca-Cola Co., an assistant U.S. attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina and an associate judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals before being nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina.
Margo Kitsy Brodie
Nominated by: Barack Obama | Confirmed: Feb. 27, 2012
| Education: St. Francis College (1988); University of Pennsylvania Law School (1991) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
A native of Antigua, Judge Margo Kitsy Brodie was in private practice before serving as an assistant U.S. attorney, Eastern District of New York. She was nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York by President Barack Obama. (Photo by U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York)
Ada Elene Brown
Nominated by: Donald Trump | Confirmed: Sept. 11, 2019
| Education: Spelman College (1996); Emory University School of Law (1999) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
Before being nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Judge Ada Elene Brown, who also has Native American heritage, served on the 5th Court of Appeals of Texas. (Photo by U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas)
Debra Marie Brown
Nominated by: Barack Obama | Confirmed: Nov. 4, 2013
| Education: Mississippi State University (1987); University of Mississippi School of Law (1997) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi
A former architect, Judge Debra Marie Brown spent years in private practice before becoming the first African American woman to serve as chief judge for the Northern District of Mississippi. (Photo by Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images)
Nannette Jolivette Brown
Nominated by: Barack Obama | Confirmed: Oct. 3, 2011
| Education: University of Louisiana at Lafayette (1985); Tulane University Law School (1988) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
A former city attorney for New Orleans, Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown became the first African American woman nominated to the federal bench in the state of Louisiana in the district court’s 200-year history. (Photo by U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana)
Victoria Marie Calvert
Nominated by: Joe Biden | Confirmed: March 22
| Education: Duke University (2003); New York University School of Law (2006) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
Before being nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Judge Victoria Marie Calvert worked in private practice and served as a staff attorney for the Federal Defender Program in Atlanta. (Photo by Diego M. Radzinschi/2022 ALM Global Properties LLC)
Denise Jefferson Casper
Nominated by: Barack Obama | Confirmed: Dec. 17, 2010
| Education: Wesleyan University (1990); Harvard Law School (1994) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
A former deputy district attorney in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Massachusetts, Judge Denise Jefferson Casper became one of the youngest women to serve on the federal bench when she was confirmed at 42 years old. (Photo by U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts)
Julianna Michelle Childs
Nominated by: Barack Obama | Confirmed: Aug. 5, 2010
| Education: University of South Florida (1988); University of South Carolina School of Law (1991) | Federal Judicial Service: U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina
Before being nominated to the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, Judge Julianna Michelle Childs worked in private practice and served as a judge on South Carolina’s Fifth Judicial Circuit Court. Childs was also on the short list to fill Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer’s seat. (Photo by U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina)
Tanya Sue Chutkan
Nominated by: Barack Obama | Confirmed: June 4, 2014
| Education: George Washington University (1983); University of Pennsylvania Law School (1987) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Circuit
A native of Kingston, Jamaica, Judge Tanya Sue Chutkan served as both a staff attorney and lead attorney at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia before being nominated to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Circuit. (Photo by U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Circuit)
Jia Michelle Cobb
Nominated by: Joe Biden | Confirmed: Oct. 26, 2021
| Education: Northwestern University (2002); Harvard Law School (2005) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Circuit
Before being nominated to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Circuit, Judge Jia Michelle Cobb served as a staff attorney in the trial division of the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia and a law clerk for Diane P. Wood of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit.
(Photo by U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Circuit)
Sharon Johnson Coleman
Nominated by: Barack Obama | Confirmed: July 12, 2010
| Education: Northern Illinois University (1981); Washington University School of Law (1984) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Before being nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman served as a judge on the Illinois Circuit Court and on the Illinois 1st District Appellate Court. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman/Pool)
Marcia G. Cooke
Nominated by: George W. Bush | Confirmed: May 18, 2004
| Education: Georgetown University (1975); Wayne State University Law School (1977) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
Judge Marcia G. Cooke served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan and in the Southern District of Florida, and as the chief inspector general for the executive office of the governor of Florida under Jeb Bush before becoming the first Black woman to become a federal judge in Florida. (Photo by U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Florida)
Tiffany Patrice Cunningham
Nominated by: Joe Biden | Confirmed: July 19, 2021 | Education: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1998); Harvard Law School (2001) | Federal judicial service: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Judge Tiffany Patrice Cunningham spent most of her career in private practice before being nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, making her the first Black person to sit on that circuit. (Photo by Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images)
Stephanie Dawkins Davis
Nominated by: Donald Trump, Joe Biden | Confirmed: Dec. 19, 2019/May 24 | Education: Wichita State University (1989); Washington University School of Law (1992) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan; U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit
Judge Stephanie Dawkins Davis served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan before being nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan by President Donald Trump in 2019, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit by President Joe Biden in 2022. She’s also the first Black woman from Michigan to serve on the 6th Circuit. (Photo by Diego M. Radzinschi/2022 ALM Global Properties LLC)
LaShann Moutique DeArcy Hall
Nominated by: Barack Obama | Confirmed: Nov. 16, 2015 | Education: Antioch College (1992); Howard University School of Law (2000) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
After serving in the U.S. Air Force as a senior airman, Judge LaShann Moutique DeArcy Hall spent most of her time in private practice before being nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. (Photo by LaShann Moutique DeArcy Hall)
Bernice Bouie Donald
Nominated by: Bill Clinton, Barack Obama | Confirmed: Dec. 22, 1995 | Education: University of Memphis (1974); University of Memphis, Humphreys School of Law (1979) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee (1995); U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit (2011)
Before being nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit in 2011, Judge Bernice Bouie Donald was an assistant public defender in Shelby County, Tennessee, a judge in the Tennessee General Sessions Criminal Court, and a board member of the Federal Judicial Center. (Photo by U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee)
Sara Lee Ellis
Nominated by: Barack Obama | Confirmed: Oct. 7, 2013 | Education: Indiana University (1991); Loyola University Chicago School of Law (1994) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Born in London, Ontario, Judge Sara Lee Ellis spent years in private practice and worked as a staff attorney at the Federal Defender Program in Chicago before being nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. (Photo by U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois)
Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong
Nominated by: Joe Biden | Confirmed: Dec. 17, 2021 | Education: Harvard University (1997); Yale Law School (2001) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong worked as a public school teacher in Ghana before attending law school. She’s worked in the Justice Department and served as a judge in the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles County before being nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. (Photo by U.S. District Court for the Central District of California)
Leslie Abrams Gardner
Nominated by: Barack Obama | Confirmed: Nov. 18, 2014 | Education: Brown University (1997); Yale Law School (2002) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia
Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner worked as a law clerk for Marvin J. Garbis of the U.S. District Court, District of Maryland before spending years in private practice and serving as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. She is the sister of Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. (Photo by U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia)
Sherilyn Peace Garnett
Nominated by: Joe Biden | Confirmed: April 27 | Education: University of California, Riverside (1991); Harvard Law School (1995) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
A native of Grand Cayman Island, Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Central District of California before sitting on the Superior Court of California in the County of Los Angeles, and serving as a judge pro tem on the California Court of Appeal in the 2nd District. (Photo by Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images)
Patricia Tolliver Giles
Nominated by: Joe Biden | Confirmed: Oct. 26, 2021 | Education: University of Virginia (1995); University of Virginia School of Law (1998) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles worked as a law clerk for Gerald Bruce Lee before serving as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. After being nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Giles became the second Black woman to serve as a federal judge in Virginia.
Lydia Kay Griggsby
Nominated by: Barack Obama, Joe Biden | Confirmed: June 16, 2021 | Education: University of Pennsylvania (1990); Georgetown University Law Center (1993) | Federal judicial service: U.S. Court of Federal Claims (2014); U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland (2021)
Before being nominated to the federal bench, Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby worked as an assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia and served on the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. (Photo by U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland)
Charlene Vanessa Edwards Honeywell
Nominated by: Barack Obama | Confirmed: Nov. 9, 2009 | Education: Howard University (1979); University of Florida College of Law (1981) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
Judge Charlene Vanessa Edwards Honeywell worked as assistant public defender, assistant city attorney in Tampa, Florida, and a judge with the Circuit Court of Florida, 13th Judicial Circuit before being nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. (Photo by U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida)
Candace Rae Jackson-Akiwumi
Nominated by: Joe Biden | Confirmed: June 24, 2021 | Education: Princeton University (2000); Yale Law School (2005) | Federal judicial service: U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
Before being nominated to the federal bench, Judge Candace Rae Jackson-Akiwumi worked as a law clerk for two federal judges before spending a decade as a staff attorney with the Federal Public Defender Program for the Northern District of Illinois. (Photo by Kevin Lamarque-Pool/Getty Images)
Ketanji Brown Jackson
Nominated by: Barack Obama, Joe Biden | Confirmed: March 23, 2013; July 14, 2021; Feb. 28 | Education: Harvard University (1992); Harvard Law School (1996) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Circuit; U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit; Associate Justice, Supreme Court of the United States
Before being sworn in as an associate justice on the Supreme Court, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson served as a federal district court judge and an appellate judge, served on the U.S. Sentencing Commission, worked as an assistant federal public defender, and served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. (Photo by Kevin Lamarque/Pool via AP)
Angel Kelley
Nominated by: Joe Biden | Confirmed: Sept. 14, 2021 | Education: Colgate University (1989); Georgetown University Law Center (1992) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
Judge Angel Kelley worked as a staff attorney at the the Legal Aid Society in New York and for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, as an assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Massachusetts, and served as an associate justice for the Massachusetts Superior Court. After being nominated to the federal bench, Kelley became both the second Black woman and second Asian American judge to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District in Massachusetts. (Photo by Julia Cumes)
Eunice Cheryl Lee
Nominated by: Joe Biden | Confirmed: Aug. 7, 2021 | Education: The Ohio State University (1993); Yale Law School (1996) | Federal judicial service: U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit
Judge Eunice Cheryl Lee held several positions with the Office of the Appellate Defender in New York, worked as an assistant federal defender for Federal Defenders of New York, and an adjunct assistant professor of clinical law at the New York University School of Law. She’s the second Black woman to serve on the 2nd Circuit. (Photo by Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images)
Linda Vivienne Parker
Nominated by: Barack Obama | Confirmed: March 12, 2014 | Education: University of Michigan (1980); George Washington University Law School (1983) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
Judge Linda Vivienne Parker worked as a staff attorney at the Environmental Protection Agency, served as director at the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, and served as a judge on the Michigan Circuit Court for the 3rd Judicial Circuit before being nominated to the federal bench. (Photo by Diego M. Radzinschi/2022 ALM Global Properties, LLC)
Benita Yalonda Pearson
Nominated by: Barack Obama | Confirmed: Dec. 21, 2010 | Education: Georgetown University (1985); Cleveland State University College of Law (1995) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
Before going to law school, Judge Benita Yalonda Pearson worked as an accountant. After getting her law degree, Pearson worked in private practice and as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Ohio before being nominated to the federal bench. (Photo by U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio)
Tanya Walton Pratt
Nominated by: Barack Obama | Confirmed: June 15, 2010 | Education: Spelman College (1981); Howard University School of Law (1984) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
Judge Tanya Walton Pratt worked in private practice and served as a judge on the Marion County Superior Court in Indiana before being nominated to the federal bench. She is the first Black federal judge in Indiana’s history. (Photo by U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana)
Johnnie B. Rawlinson
Nominated by: Bill Clinton | Confirmed: April 2, 1998 | Education: North Carolina A&T State University (1974); University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law (1979) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada; U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
Judge Johnnie B. Rawlinson held several positions at the Office of the District Attorney in Las Vegas and worked as a staff attorney at Nevada Legal Services before becoming the first Black woman to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. (Photo by U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit)
Judith Ann Wilson Rogers
Nominated by: Bill Clinton | Confirmed: March 10, 1994 | Education: Radcliffe College (1961); Harvard Law School (1964) | Federal judicial service: U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit; District of Columbia Court of Appeals
Before being nominated to the federal bench, Judge Judith Ann Wilson Rogers worked as an assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, a staff attorney at the San Francisco Neighborhood Legal Assistance Foundation, and as corporation counsel for the District of Columbia. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Newsmakers)
Eleanor Louise Ross
Nominated by: Barack Obama | Confirmed: Nov. 18, 2014 | Education: American University (1989); University of Houston Law Center (1994) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
Judge Eleanor Louise Ross spent years as a senior assistant district attorney and an executive assistant district attorney in Fulton County, Georgia, before serving as a judge on the DeKalb County State Court in Georgia and being nominated for the federal bench. (Photo by U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia)
Mary Stenson Scriven
Nominated by: George W. Bush | Confirmed: Sept. 26, 2008 | Education: Duke University (1983); Florida State University College of Law (1987) | Federal judicial service:U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida; U.S. Magistrate Judge, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
Judge Mary Stenson Scriven worked in private practice for more than a decade and taught at the Stetson University College of Law before being nominated to the federal bench. (Photo by Ben Tanner, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida)
Laura Taylor Swain
Nominated by: Bill Clinton | Confirmed: June 16, 2000 | Education: Radcliffe College (1979); Harvard Law School (1982) | Federal Judicial Service:U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York; U.S. Bankruptcy Judge, Eastern District of New York
Judge Laura Taylor Swain spent years in private practice and served as a member of the New York State Board of Law Examiners before being nominated to the federal bench. Currently, she serves as chief judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. (Photo by U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York)
Holly Aiyisha Thomas
Nominated by: Joe Biden | Confirmed: Jan. 20 | Education: Stanford University (2000); Yale University (2004) | Federal judicial service: U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
Before being nominated to the federal bench, Judge Holly Aiyisha Thomas worked as assistant counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and a senior attorney for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division before serving as a judge in the Superior Court of California and a judge pro tem on the California Court of Appeal, 2nd District. (Photo by U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit)
Ojetta Rogeriee Thompson
Nominated by: Barack Obama | Confirmed: March 17, 2010 | Education: Brown University (1973); Boston University School of Law (1976) | Federal judicial service: U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit
Judge Ojetta Rogeriee Thompson worked in private practice and served as a staff attorney for Rhode Island Legal Services before sitting on the Rhode Island District Court and the Rhode Island Superior Court. (Photo by U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit)
Trina Lynn Thompson
Nominated by: Joe Biden | Confirmed: May 18 | Education: University of California, Berkeley (1983); University of California, Berkeley, School of Law (1986) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
Before being nominated to the federal bench, Judge Trina Lynn Thompson worked with the Alameda County Public Defender’s Office and spent years in private practice before spending nearly two decades as a judge on the Superior Court of California in the County of Alameda. (Photo by Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images)
Analisa Nadine Torres
Nominated by: Barack Obama | Confirmed: April 18, 2013 | Education: Harvard University (1981); Columbia Law School (1984) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Judge Analisa Nadine Torres served as a judge on both the civil and criminal courts in New York City and spent years in private practice before sitting on the Supreme Court of the State of New York. She is a third-generation judge whose father and grandfather sat on the bench in New York. (Photo by Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Susan Davis Wigenton
Nominated by: George W. Bush | Confirmed: May 26, 2006 | Education: Norfolk State University (1984); William and Mary Law School (1987) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
Judge Susan Davis Wigenton worked as a law clerk for Lawrence M. Lawson of the Superior Court of New Jersey and spent more than two decades in private practice before being nominated to the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. (Photo by U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey)
Karen McGlashan Williams
Nominated by: Joe Biden | Confirmed: Oct. 26, 2021 | Education: Pennsylvania State University (1985); Temple University School of Law (1992) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
A former law professor at Rutgers Law School and Rowan University, Judge Karen McGlashan Williams spent nearly two decades in private practice before being nominated to the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.
Andrea Robin Wood
Nominated by: Barack Obama | Confirmed: Oct. 14, 2013 | Education: University of Chicago (1995); Yale Law School (1998) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Judge Andrea Robin Wood worked as a law clerk for Diane P. Wood at U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, spent time in private practice and worked at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement before being nominated to the federal bench. (Photo by U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois)
Wilhelmina Marie Wright
Nominated by: Barack Obama | Confirmed: Jan. 19, 2016 | Education: Yale College (1986); Harvard Law School (1989) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
Judge Wilhelmina Marie Wright worked as a law clerk for Damon J. Keith on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, spent years in private practice and served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Minnesota before sitting on the Minnesota Court of Appeals and the Minnesota Supreme Court. (Photo by Jerry Holt/Star Tribune via Getty Images)
Staci Michelle Yandle
Nominated by: Barack Obama | Confirmed: June 17, 2014 | Education: University of Illinois (1983); Vanderbilt University Law School (1987) | Federal judicial service: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
Judge Staci Michelle Yandle spent more than three decades in private practice focusing on civil litigation before being nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. When she was confirmed, Yandle became the second openly gay Black woman on the federal bench. (Photo by U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois)