Tiffany P. Cunningham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tiffany P. Cunningham
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit | |
| Assumed office August 6, 2021 |
|
| Appointed by | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Evan Wallach |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 27, 1976 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Education | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (BS) Harvard University (JD) |
Tiffany Patrice Cunningham, born on May 27, 1976, is an important judge in the United States. She serves as a circuit judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. This court helps decide important legal cases.
Her School Days
Tiffany Cunningham went to the Roeper School in Michigan. After that, she studied chemical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in 1998. Later, she went to Harvard Law School and received her law degree in 2001.
Her Career as a Lawyer
After finishing law school, Tiffany Cunningham worked as a law clerk. She helped Judge Timothy B. Dyk at the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit from 2001 to 2002.
In 2002, she joined a law firm called Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago. She started as an associate lawyer and became a partner in 2007. She worked there until 2014.
From 2014 to 2021, she was a partner at another law firm, Perkins Coie, also in Chicago. There, she focused on cases about patent infringement. This means she worked on legal issues related to inventions and new ideas. She was also a registered patent attorney. This allows her to represent inventors before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Becoming a Federal Judge
On March 30, 2021, President Joe Biden announced that he wanted to nominate Tiffany Cunningham to be a federal judge. She was nominated to serve as a circuit judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. This position became open when Judge Evan Wallach retired.
Her nomination was sent to the United States Senate on April 19, 2021. The Senate needed to approve her for the job. A hearing about her nomination was held on May 26, 2021, before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. This committee reviews people nominated for judge positions.
On June 17, 2021, the committee voted to approve her nomination. The full Senate then voted on July 19, 2021, and confirmed her. She officially became a judge on August 6, 2021. She was sworn into office on September 1, 2021.
Tiffany Cunningham made history as the first African American judge to serve on the Federal Circuit court. In early 2022, her name was mentioned as a possible choice for the U.S. Supreme Court after Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement.
See also
- List of African American federal judges
- List of African American jurists
- Joe Biden Supreme Court candidates
External links
- Tiffany P. Cunningham at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Evan Wallach |
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit 2021–present |
Incumbent |
