Vicki Miles-LaGrange facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vicki Miles-LaGrange
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
Incumbent
Assumed office November 5, 2018
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
In office 2008–2015
Preceded by	Robin J. Cauthron
Succeeded by	Joe L. Heaton
Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
In office November 28, 1994 – November 5, 2018
Appointed by	Bill Clinton
Preceded by	Lee Roy West
Succeeded by	Jodi W. Dishman
United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma
In office 1993–1994
President	Bill Clinton
Preceded by	John B. Green (acting)
Succeeded by	Rozia McKinney-Foster
Member of the Oklahoma Senate from the 48th district
In office January 6, 1987 – September 1993
Preceded by	E. Melvin Porter
Succeeded by	Angela Monson
Personal details
Born	Vicki Lynn Miles (1953-09-30) September 30, 1953 (age 71) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
Education	University of Ghana Vassar College (AB) Howard University (JD)

Vicki Lynn Miles-LaGrange (born September 30, 1953) is a respected former federal judge in Oklahoma. She made history as the first African-American woman to become a United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma. She was also the first African-American woman elected to the Oklahoma Senate, which is part of the state's government.

Early Life and Education

Vicki Lynn Miles-LaGrange was born on September 30, 1953, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She studied at the University of Ghana in Accra, Ghana, in 1973. She then graduated with honors from Vassar College in 1974. In 1977, she earned her law degree from Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C.. While at Howard University, she was an editor for The Howard Law Journal. She also worked part-time as an intern for U.S. House Speaker Carl Albert.

Career in Government and Law

Before becoming a judge, Miles-LaGrange had many important roles. She worked as a law clerk for different judges and for the United States Commission on Civil Rights. From 1977 to 1979, she was a law clerk for Judge Woodrow Bradley Seals in Texas.

She also worked for the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., from 1979 to 1980. She was a special assistant for the African Development Group from 1980 to 1982. In 1981, she taught at the University of Maryland, College Park. From 1982 to 1983, she was a trial attorney for the Department of Justice.

Miles-LaGrange returned to Oklahoma in 1983. She became an assistant district attorney for Oklahoma County and worked on cases involving serious crimes. From 1986 to 1993, she worked as a private lawyer in Oklahoma City. During this time, she was also elected to the Oklahoma Senate. She served as an Oklahoma State Senator from 1987 to 1993. This made her, along with Maxine Horner, the first African-American woman elected to the Oklahoma State Senate. From 1993 to 1994, she served as the United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.

Federal Judge Service

President Bill Clinton chose Miles-LaGrange to be a federal judge on September 22, 1994. She was approved by the United States Senate on October 7, 1994. She officially became a judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma on November 28, 1994. She led the court as chief judge from 2008 to 2015. On November 5, 2018, she took "inactive senior status". This means she is still a federal judge, but she no longer hears new cases or takes part in the daily work of the court.

Important Legal Decision

Judge Miles-LaGrange made an important early decision in a case about the Oklahoma Constitution. This ruling stopped an amendment that would have prevented Oklahoma courts from using international or Islamic Sharia law. This decision received a lot of attention.

See Also

• List of African-American federal judges
• List of African-American jurists
• List of first women lawyers and judges in Oklahoma