Margaret B. Seymour facts for kids

Margaret Louise Beane Seymour was born on January 16, 1947. She is an American lawyer and a former federal judge in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. A federal judge works for the U.S. government and makes important decisions in court cases.

Early Life and Education

Margaret Seymour was born in Washington, D.C.. She went to Howard University and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1969. Later, she studied law at the Washington College of Law at American University, getting her law degree (called a Juris Doctor) in 1977.

A Career in Law

Margaret Seymour has had a long and impressive career in law.

Working for the Government

• From 1972 to 1979, she worked as an equal opportunity specialist for the U.S. Department of Health, Education & Welfare. This job involved making sure everyone had fair chances.
• She continued this work from 1979 to 1980 at the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
• From 1980 to 1988, she was a lawyer in the Office of Civil Rights for the United States Department of Education. This office helps protect people's rights in education.

Becoming a Prosecutor

• After working in private law from 1988 to 1990, she became an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina. This means she was a lawyer who represented the U.S. government in court.
• She even served as the interim United States Attorney for that district from 1993 to 1996. This is a very important role, leading the federal prosecutors in a specific area.

Serving as a Federal Judge

Margaret Seymour spent many years as a federal judge, making important decisions that affected many people.

Magistrate Judge Role

• From 1996 to 1998, she was a United States magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. Magistrate judges help federal judges with various tasks, like handling initial hearings.

District Judge Appointment

• In 1998, President Bill Clinton nominated her to become a full United States district judge for the District of South Carolina.
• The United States Senate approved her nomination, and she officially became a judge on October 22, 1998.

Chief Judge and Retirement

• On January 3, 2012, Judge Seymour became the Chief Judge of the court. This means she was the main leader for all the judges in that district.
• She served as Chief Judge until January 16, 2013, when she took senior status. A senior judge is still a federal judge but handles a reduced caseload.
• She officially retired from her judicial role on August 31, 2022.

See also

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

Sources

• Seymour, Margaret B. at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
• Confirmation hearings on federal appointments : hearings before the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, One Hundred Fifth Congress, first session, on confirmation of appointees to the federal judiciary. pt.5 (1999) This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.