Jessica G. L. Clarke facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jessica Clarke
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| Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York | |
| Assumed office April 20, 2023 |
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| Appointed by | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Colleen McMahon |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jessica Gloria Lynn Clarke
1983 (age 42–43) Akron, Ohio, U.S. |
| Education | Northwestern University (BA) Ohio State University (JD) |
Jessica Gloria Lynn Clarke, born in 1983, is an American lawyer. She works as a United States district judge in New York. This means she is a federal judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
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Education and Early Career
Jessica Clarke went to Northwestern University and earned her first degree in 2005. She then studied law at the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, getting her law degree in 2008.
After law school, Ms. Clarke worked for a judge named Solomon Oliver Jr. in Ohio from 2008 to 2010. This job is called a law clerk.
Working for Justice
From 2010 to 2016, Jessica Clarke worked for the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice. She was a trial attorney, which means she represented the government in court cases. Her work focused on protecting people's civil rights.
Later, she worked at a law firm called Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP. She was an associate from 2016 to 2018 and then became "of counsel" until 2019. From 2019 to 2023, she led the Civil Rights Bureau at the New York State Office of Attorney General. In this role, she oversaw efforts to stop violations of civil rights laws in New York.
Becoming a Federal Judge
On December 15, 2021, President Joe Biden chose Jessica Clarke to become a federal judge. She was nominated for a position on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. This position became open when Judge Colleen McMahon retired.
The Nomination Process
To become a federal judge, a person must be approved by the United States Senate. A hearing was held for Ms. Clarke's nomination on January 12, 2022. During this hearing, senators asked her questions about her past work. Some questions were about her role in investigations related to civil rights and police interactions in New York City.
On February 10, 2022, the Senate committee that reviews judge nominations voted on her. The vote was tied, so her nomination did not move forward at that time. However, on June 23, 2022, the full United States Senate voted to bring her nomination to a vote anyway.
Confirmation and Service
Her nomination was sent back to the President at the end of 2022, but President Biden nominated her again on January 3, 2023. On February 9, 2023, the Senate committee voted again, and this time, her nomination was approved by a small margin.
Finally, on March 16, 2023, the Senate voted to confirm her as a judge. The vote was 48 to 43. She officially became a judge on April 20, 2023. As a federal judge, she now hears many different types of cases in the Southern District of New York.
See also
