Candace Jackson-Akiwumi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Candace Jackson-Akiwumi
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| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit | |
| Assumed office July 1, 2021 |
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| Appointed by | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Joel Flaum |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Candace Rae Jackson
1979 (age 45–46) Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. |
| Relatives | Raymond Alvin Jackson (father) |
| Education | Princeton University (BA) Yale University (JD) |
Candace Rae Jackson-Akiwumi (born in 1979) is an American judge and lawyer. She has been a federal judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit since July 2021. Before becoming a judge, she worked as a staff attorney for the federal public defender program in Illinois from 2010 to 2020. She was also a partner at a law firm in Washington, D.C., from 2020 to 2021.
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Early Life and Education
Candace Jackson-Akiwumi was born in Norfolk, Virginia. Her father, Raymond Alvin Jackson, is also a United States District Judge. Her mother, Gwendolyn Jackson, was a judge too.
Candace went to Princeton University and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in 2000. She then studied law at Yale University, where she received her law degree (Juris Doctor) in 2005. While at Yale, she was a senior editor for the Yale Law Journal, a well-known legal publication.
Her Legal Career
Candace Jackson-Akiwumi started her legal journey as a law clerk. This means she worked closely with a judge to help them with their cases. She clerked for Judge David H. Coar in Illinois from 2005 to 2006. After that, she clerked for Judge Roger Gregory in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals from 2006 to 2007.
From 2007 to 2010, she worked as a lawyer at a firm called Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in Chicago.
Helping People as a Public Defender
From 2010 to 2020, Candace worked as a staff attorney for the federal public defender program in Illinois. Public defenders are lawyers who help people who cannot afford to hire their own attorney. This work is very important because it ensures everyone has a fair chance in court.
In 2018, she also taught a class about criminal law at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.
Working at a Law Firm
From 2020 to 2021, she became a partner at Zuckerman Spaeder in Washington, D.C.. Here, she focused on complex civil cases, defending people accused of certain financial crimes, and conducting investigations.
Becoming a Federal Judge
On March 30, 2021, President Joe Biden announced that he wanted to nominate Candace Jackson-Akiwumi to be a United States circuit judge for the Seventh Circuit. This court hears appeals from federal district courts in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.
Her nomination was sent to the Senate on April 19, 2021. She was nominated to fill the seat left by Judge Joel Flaum, who had retired. The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing about her nomination on April 28, 2021. The committee voted to approve her nomination on May 20, 2021.
On June 24, 2021, the United States Senate voted to confirm her nomination. She officially became a judge on July 1, 2021. She is the second African-American woman to serve on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. She is also the first former federal public defender to become a judge on this court.
Considered for the Supreme Court
In January 2022, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer announced he would retire. Candace Jackson-Akiwumi was mentioned as a possible choice for the Supreme Court. President Biden had promised to nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court. In the end, President Biden nominated Ketanji Brown Jackson, who was confirmed in April 2022.
See also
