Lindsay C. Jenkins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lindsay C. Jenkins
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| Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois | |
| Assumed office February 24, 2023 |
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| Appointed by | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | John Z. Lee |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Lindsey Carole Clayton
1977 (age 48–49) Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Education | Miami University (BA) Cleveland State University (JD) |
Lindsay Carole Jenkins (born in 1977) is an American lawyer. She used to work as a prosecutor for the United States government. Today, she serves as a federal judge in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. This court handles important legal cases in northern Illinois.
Contents
Education and Early Career
Learning to Be a Lawyer
Lindsay Jenkins went to Miami University and earned a degree in 1998. After that, she studied law at Cleveland–Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University. She graduated in 2002 with high honors.
Starting Her Legal Journey
From 2002 to 2004, Ms. Jenkins worked for Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. in Ohio. She helped him with his legal cases. Then, from 2004 to 2006, she worked as a lawyer at a firm called Jones Day.
Working as a Prosecutor
Helping the Government
From 2006 to 2021, Lindsay Jenkins was an assistant United States attorney. This means she worked for the U.S. government as a prosecutor. Her job was to represent the government in legal cases. She worked in the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois.
She held several important roles there. She was a Deputy Chief, then Chief of the General Crimes section. Later, she became Chief of the Violent Crimes section.
Teaching Law
After her time as a prosecutor, Ms. Jenkins became a partner at a law firm called Cooley LLP in Chicago. She focused on cases involving financial crimes, often called "white collar crime." These are crimes committed by people in business, usually involving money. She also taught law students at Loyola University Chicago School of Law and Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. She taught them about trial advocacy and issues like gun violence in Chicago.
Important Cases
In 2015, Ms. Jenkins helped with a big case involving Barbara Byrd-Bennett. She was the head of Chicago's public schools. Ms. Byrd-Bennett admitted to misusing her position for personal gain. She guided valuable contracts to her former employer in exchange for money.
In 2016, Ms. Jenkins was part of a team that looked into the practices of the Chicago Police Department. They investigated how the police used force.
Becoming a Federal Judge
Nomination Process
In December 2021, Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth suggested Lindsay Jenkins to the President. On July 14, 2022, President Joe Biden announced he wanted to nominate her. He chose her to be a federal judge for the Northern District of Illinois.
Her nomination was sent to the Senate in September 2022. She was chosen for the seat that Judge John Z. Lee had left. The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing about her nomination in October 2022.
Confirmation and Swearing-In
On December 1, 2022, the committee voted to approve her nomination. The Senate then voted on her nomination on February 14, 2023. She was confirmed by a vote of 59 to 40. She officially became a judge on February 24, 2023, and was sworn in on February 27, 2023.
Key Decisions as a Judge
School District Lawsuit
On April 18, 2023, Judge Jenkins dismissed a lawsuit against a school district. A parent had claimed their rights were violated. The lawsuit was about the school's actions regarding a student's identity. Judge Jenkins decided that the parent's claims did not meet the legal requirements to continue the lawsuit.
Illinois Gun Law
On April 27, 2023, Judge Jenkins decided not to stop a law in Illinois called the Protect Illinois Communities Act. This law bans certain types of firearms and large-capacity magazines. She explained that these items are "particularly dangerous." She said that regulating them fits with the history and traditions of gun laws in the United States. Her decision was later upheld by a higher court in November 2023.
See also
