Arenda Wright Allen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arenda Wright Allen
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| Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia | |
| Assumed office May 12, 2011 |
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| Appointed by | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Jerome B. Friedman |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Arenda Lauretta Wright
December 9, 1960 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Education | Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (BA) North Carolina Central University (JD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1985–2005 |
| Rank |  Commander |
| Unit | Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps |
Arenda Lauretta Wright Allen (born December 9, 1960) is an important judge in the United States. She serves as a federal judge for the Eastern District of Virginia. Before becoming a judge, she worked as a lawyer for the government and also helped people who couldn't afford a lawyer in Norfolk, Virginia.
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Her Early Life and School
Arenda Wright Allen was born in Philadelphia. She went to Kutztown University of Pennsylvania and earned her first degree in 1982. Later, she studied law at North Carolina Central University School of Law, finishing in 1985. In 2013, Kutztown University gave her a special honorary degree.
Her Career as a Lawyer and Judge
Wright Allen started her legal career in the United States Navy. She was a lawyer in the Navy's legal team, called the Judge Advocate General's Corps. She served actively from 1985 to 1990 and then in the Navy Reserve until 2005.
From 2001 to 2005, she worked as a lawyer for the government, known as an Assistant United States Attorney. She worked in the Eastern District of Virginia. In 2005, she joined the Federal Public Defender's Office. Here, she helped people who needed a lawyer but couldn't pay for one. She was a supervisor there until she became a judge in 2011.
Becoming a Federal Judge
Senators Jim Webb and Mark R. Warner suggested Wright Allen for a judge position. President Barack Obama then nominated her on December 1, 2010. She was chosen to fill a spot left by Judge Jerome B. Friedman.
The United States Senate voted on May 11, 2011, and confirmed her as a judge with a 96–0 vote. She officially started her job as a judge the very next day.
Important Decision as a Judge
On February 13, 2014, Judge Allen made a significant ruling. She decided that a state law in Virginia about marriage was against the U.S. Constitution. This meant the law could not be enforced.
In her written decision, she first mistakenly said a famous quote was from the U.S. Constitution. It is actually from the Declaration of Independence. She quickly corrected this small error in a later version of her ruling.
Her Personal Life
Judge Allen is married to Delroy Allen. He is a retired soccer player from Jamaica who also became an American citizen.
See also
