DeAndrea G. Benjamin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
DeAndrea Benjamin
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Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit | |
Assumed office February 21, 2023 |
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Appointed by | Joe Biden |
Preceded by | Henry F. Floyd |
Judge of the South Carolina Circuit Court for the 5th Circuit | |
In office February 2, 2011 – February 21, 2023 |
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Appointed by | General Assembly |
Personal details | |
Born |
DeAndrea Donale Gist
October 4, 1972 Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. |
Spouse | |
Children | 2 daughters |
Education | Winthrop University (BA) University of South Carolina (JD) |
DeAndrea Gist Benjamin, born on October 4, 1972, is an American lawyer. She currently serves as a United States circuit judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. This is a very important court that hears appeals from lower courts. Before this, she was a judge for the South Carolina Circuit Court in the fifth district.
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Early Life and Education
DeAndrea Benjamin was born in 1972 in Columbia, South Carolina. Her parents are Donald and Adrienne Gist. She finished high school at Columbia High School in 1990.
She went on to college at Winthrop University. In 1994, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. Later, in 1997, she received her law degree, called a Juris Doctor, from the University of South Carolina School of Law.
Her Career as a Lawyer and Judge
After law school, Benjamin worked as a law clerk for Judge L. Casey Manning. This was from 1997 to 1998. She then became an assistant solicitor, working in the Juvenile and Family Court Division. This job lasted from 1998 to 1999.
From 1999 to 2001, she served as an assistant attorney general. This was for the South Carolina Attorney General's Office. After that, she worked at the Gist Law Firm from 2001 to 2011.
Early Judicial Roles
In 2001, Governor Jim Hodges appointed Benjamin to the Juvenile Parole Board. She served on this board from July 2001 to June 2004. From 2004 to 2011, she was a city judge in Columbia.
In 2011, she was appointed to be a judge for the South Carolina Circuit Court. She served in this role for the fifth district.
Becoming a Federal Judge
On August 9, 2022, President Joe Biden announced that he wanted to nominate Benjamin. He chose her to become a United States circuit judge for the Fourth Circuit. This court hears appeals from federal courts in several states.
Her nomination was sent to the Senate on September 6, 2022. She was nominated to fill the position left by Judge Henry F. Floyd. A hearing about her nomination was held on November 15, 2022. This was before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
On December 8, 2022, the committee voted in favor of her nomination. The Senate then voted on her nomination on February 9, 2023. She was confirmed by a vote of 53 to 44. She officially became a judge on February 21, 2023. She is the second African American woman to serve on the Fourth Circuit. She is also the first African American woman from South Carolina to hold this position.
Personal Life
DeAndrea Benjamin married Stephen K. Benjamin in 2002. Her husband served as the mayor of Columbia from 2010 to 2022. They have two daughters together.