Amalya Kearse facts for kids

Amalya Lyle Kearse (born June 11, 1937) is a very important American judge. She is a senior judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. This is a high court that reviews decisions from lower courts. Judge Kearse is also known for being a world-class player of the card game bridge.

Early Life and Education

Amalya Kearse was born in Vauxhall, New Jersey. Her mother was a doctor and her father was a postmaster. She went to Columbia High School.

After high school, she studied philosophy at Wellesley College. She earned her degree in 1959. Then, she went to University of Michigan Law School. She was the only Black woman in her law school class. She worked on the school's law review, which publishes legal articles. She graduated in 1962 with high honors.

After law school, Amalya Kearse started working as a lawyer in New York City. She became a partner at a well-known law firm called Hughes Hubbard & Reed. This means she became one of the main leaders of the firm. She also taught law at New York University Law School for a short time.

Becoming a Federal Judge

In 1979, President Jimmy Carter chose Amalya Kearse to be a judge. She was nominated to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. The United States Senate approved her nomination. She officially became a judge on June 21, 1979.

At that time, she was the first woman to serve on this court. She was also only the second Black person to be a judge on this court. The first was Thurgood Marshall, who later became a Supreme Court Justice.

In 2002, Judge Kearse took on "senior status." This means she still serves as a judge but with a lighter workload.

Important Legal Decisions

Judge Kearse wrote an important decision in a case called McCray v. Abrams in 1984. In this case, she created a rule that made it much harder for lawyers to remove people from a jury just because of their race. This was a big step towards fairness in trials. The highest court in the U.S., the Supreme Court, later made a similar rule.

Considered for the Supreme Court

In 1981, Amalya Kearse made history again. She was the first African-American woman to be considered for a spot on the Supreme Court of the United States. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the country. President Ronald Reagan eventually chose another judge, Sandra Day O'Connor, for the position.

Considered for Attorney General

In 1993, President Bill Clinton also considered Judge Kearse for another very important job. He thought about making her the United States Attorney General. This person is the chief lawyer for the U.S. government. However, the job eventually went to Janet Reno.

Bridge Player

Besides her amazing legal career, Amalya Kearse is also famous for playing bridge. Bridge is a complex card game played by four people. She is considered a world-class player.

In 1986, she won the World Women Pairs Championship. She played with her longtime partner, Jacqui Mitchell. Winning this championship earned her the title of World Bridge Federation World Life Master. This is a very high honor in the bridge world.

She has also won seven national championships in the U.S. for bridge.

Bridge Achievements

• Won the World Women's Pairs Championship in 1986.
• Won six North American Bridge Championships.
• Won the Women's Team Trials in 1992.

See Also

• Bill Clinton Supreme Court candidates
• List of African-American federal judges
• List of African-American jurists
• List of first women lawyers and judges in the United States
• List of United States federal judges by longevity of service