Denise J. Casper facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Denise Casper
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| Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts | |
| Assumed office July 1, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | F. Dennis Saylor IV |
| Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts | |
| Assumed office December 20, 2010 |
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| Appointed by | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Reginald C. Lindsay |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Denise Jefferson
January 9, 1968 East Patchogue, New York, U.S. |
| Education | Wesleyan University (BA) Harvard University (JD) |
Denise Jefferson Casper, born on January 9, 1968, is an important American judge. She currently serves as the chief judge for a special court in Massachusetts, called the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Before becoming a judge, she worked as a lawyer for the government in Massachusetts. Judge Casper made history as the first African-American woman to become a federal judge in Massachusetts.
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Denise Casper's Early Life and Education
Denise Casper was born in East Patchogue, New York. She went to Wesleyan University and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1990. Later, she studied law at Harvard Law School, finishing in 1994 with a Juris Doctor degree. This degree is what lawyers need to practice law.
Denise Casper's Career Journey
Denise Casper began her career helping judges as a law clerk for the Massachusetts Appeals Court. From 1995 to 1998, she worked as a lawyer at a firm called Bingham McCutchen. There, she handled legal cases that involved disagreements between people or companies, known as civil litigation.
In 1999, she became an Assistant United States Attorney in Boston. This means she was a lawyer who worked for the U.S. government. From 2004, she also helped lead a special team that worked on important cases. She taught legal writing at Boston University School of Law from 2005 to 2007. Before becoming a federal judge, she was a deputy district attorney in Cambridge, Massachusetts, starting in 2007.
Becoming a Federal Judge
President Barack Obama chose Denise Casper for a judge position on April 28, 2010. This position was in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The United States Senate approved her appointment on December 17, 2010. She officially became a judge on December 20, 2010.
When she became a judge, she was the first African-American woman to hold such a federal position in Massachusetts. She was also one of the youngest federal judges in the country at that time.
Learn More About Judges
- List of African-American federal judges
- List of African-American jurists
- List of first women lawyers and judges in Massachusetts
