Laura Taylor Swain facts for kids

Laura Anne Taylor Swain, born on November 21, 1958, is an important American judge. She is currently the chief judge for a major court in New York City, called the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. She became a judge in this court in 2000, appointed by President Bill Clinton. In 2021, she became the chief judge.

Laura Swain's Early Life and Education

Laura Swain was born in Brooklyn, New York. She went to Radcliffe College and earned a college degree in 1979. After that, she studied law at Harvard Law School, getting her law degree in 1982.

Her First Jobs in Law

After finishing law school, Laura Swain worked for a judge named Constance Baker Motley. This job, called a law clerk, helps a judge with their cases. She did this from 1982 to 1983.

Then, from 1983 to 1996, Laura Swain worked as a lawyer in New York City. She worked for a law firm called Debevoise & Plimpton. She helped companies with rules about employee benefits and other work-related laws. She also helped the New York State Board of Law Examiners for ten years. This board helps decide who can become a lawyer.

Laura Swain's Journey as a Judge

Laura Swain became a judge in 1996. She was a bankruptcy judge for a court in New York until 2000. A bankruptcy judge helps people and companies who are having trouble paying their debts.

Becoming a Federal Judge

In April 2000, President Bill Clinton chose Laura Swain to become a United States District Judge. The United States Senate approved her appointment in June 2000. She officially started her new role as a federal judge on July 11, 2000. On April 10, 2021, she became the chief judge of the court.

Overseeing the Puerto Rico Debt Case

In 2017, a very important judge, Chief Justice John Roberts, chose Judge Swain to lead a big case. This case was about helping the government of Puerto Rico manage its large debt. It was a complex situation where Puerto Rico needed to reorganize its finances.

Important Copyright Cases

During her time as a judge, Laura Swain has handled some well-known cases about books and who wrote them. These cases were often talked about in the news.

Lapine v. Seinfeld Case

One famous case was between author Missy Chase Lapine and comedian Jerry Seinfeld and his wife, Jessica Seinfeld. Missy Lapine claimed that Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook, Deceptively Delicious, used ideas from Lapine's own book, The Sneaky Chef.

The Seinfelds said this was not true. Missy Lapine also claimed that Jerry Seinfeld said things about the case on a TV show that hurt her reputation.

Hoover v. Boncompagni Case

Another case involved two sisters, Tatiana Boncompagni Hoover and Natasha Boncompagni. Tatiana, who is an author, said her older sister Natasha made copies of her book, Hedge Fund Wives, without permission.

The court quickly ordered Natasha to stop sharing the book. The case ended in 2009. Judge Swain issued an order stating that Natasha was not a co-author of Hedge Fund Wives. Natasha also agreed to give up any claims she had to the book's copyright.

Defamation Lawsuit Against CNN

In 2021, Judge Swain dismissed a lawsuit filed by Devin Nunes against CNN. Nunes claimed that CNN published a false news article about him and tried to damage his reputation. He was seeking a large amount of money. Judge Swain explained that under the law, Nunes needed to ask for a correction from CNN within 20 days of the article being published, which he did not do. Because of this, the lawsuit could not continue.

See also

• List of African-American federal judges
• List of African-American jurists