Christopher R. Cooper facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Christopher Cooper
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| Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia | |
| Assumed office March 28, 2014 |
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| Appointed by | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Royce Lamberth |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Christopher Reid Cooper
September 2, 1966 Mobile, Alabama, U.S. |
| Spouse | Amy Jeffress |
| Education | Yale University (BA) Stanford University (JD) |
Christopher Reid "Casey" Cooper (born September 2, 1966) is an American lawyer. He serves as a United States district judge for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. This means he works in a special court in Washington, D.C., that handles important legal cases for the whole country.
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Early Life and School
Cooper was born in Mobile, Alabama, in 1966. He went to Yale University and graduated with high honors in 1988. He was also part of a special academic group called Phi Beta Kappa. Later, he studied law at Stanford Law School and graduated in 1993. While there, he was the president of the Stanford Law Review, a student-run legal journal.
Cooper's Career Journey
After law school, Cooper worked for a judge named Abner Mikva from 1993 to 1994. He then worked for the United States Department of Justice for two years.
From 1996 to 2012, he worked as a lawyer in private law firms. He helped many different clients with legal investigations. He focused on cases involving financial crimes and anti-corruption rules. In 2008, he also advised the team that helped Barack Obama become president.
Becoming a Federal Judge
On August 1, 2013, President Barack Obama chose Cooper to become a federal judge. He would take the place of Judge Royce C. Lamberth. The United States Senate had to approve this choice.
On March 26, 2014, the Senate voted to move forward with his nomination. Later that same day, the Senate voted 100-0 to confirm him as a judge. He officially started his job two days later.
Important Cases as a Judge
Judge Cooper has handled many important cases. Here are a few examples:
- In 2014, he decided a case about rules for pet breeders who sell animals online. He supported the government's rules in his decision.
- In 2015, he dismissed a lawsuit from two Florida counties. They wanted to stop a railway project called Brightline. Cooper said the counties did not have the legal right to bring that specific claim.
- He oversaw a case about the Freedom of Information Act. A student wanted to know if the U.S. government was involved in Nelson Mandela's arrest. Cooper made rulings that helped the student get more information from government agencies.
- In 2015, he denied a request to stop a construction project for the Virginia Avenue Tunnel in Washington, D.C.
- In 2016, he ruled in a racial discrimination case against Airbnb. He decided that the case should go to arbitration, which is a way to solve disputes outside of court.
- In 2021, he dismissed a lawsuit filed by Giorgi Rtskhiladze. This person was unhappy with how they were described in a government report.
- In 2024, Judge Cooper made a ruling involving a reporter named Catherine Herridge. He asked her to reveal a source for her news story. When she did not, he made a legal decision that was criticized by many journalists.
- In February 2025, he denied a request to stop job changes for federal employees. This allowed the changes to move forward.
Personal Life
Christopher Cooper is African-American. He is married to Amy Jeffress. She is also a lawyer and used to work for the Justice Department. She was an advisor to former United States Attorney General Eric Holder.
See also
