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Candace Jackson-Akiwumi

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Candace Jackson-Akiwumi
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
Incumbent
Assumed office
July 1, 2021
Appointed byJoe Biden
Preceded byJoel Flaum
Personal details
Born
Candace Rae Jackson

1979 (age 44–45)
Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
RelativesRaymond Alvin Jackson (father)
EducationPrinceton University (BA)
Yale University (JD)

Candace Rae Jackson-Akiwumi (born 1979)[1] is an American attorney who has served as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit since July 2021. She was previously a staff attorney at the federal defender program in the Northern District of Illinois from 2010 to 2020 and a partner at Zuckerman Spaeder in Washington, D.C., from 2020 to 2021.

Early life and education

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Jackson-Akiwumi was born in Norfolk, Virginia, to United States District Judge Raymond Alvin Jackson[2] and former Norfolk General District Court Judge Gwendolyn Jackson.[3] Jackson-Akiwumi received her Bachelor of Arts, with honors, from Princeton University in 2000 and her Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2005.[4] At Yale, she served as a senior editor on the Yale Law Journal.[5]

Career

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She began her legal career as a law clerk to Judge David H. Coar of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois from 2005 to 2006, and then for Judge Roger Gregory of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit from 2006 to 2007. She was a litigation associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in Chicago from 2007 to 2010.

From 2010 to 2020, she worked as a staff attorney at the federal public defender program in the Northern District of Illinois.[6] In 2018, she also co-taught a class in criminal law at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.[1] From 2020 to 2021, she was a partner at Zuckerman Spaeder in Washington, D.C., where she focused on complex civil litigation, white collar criminal defense, and investigations.[4]

Federal judicial service

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On March 30, 2021, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Jackson-Akiwumi to serve as a United States circuit judge for the Seventh Circuit.[4] On April 19, 2021, her nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Jackson-Akiwumi to the seat vacated by Judge Joel Flaum, who assumed senior status on November 30, 2020.[7] On April 28, 2021, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[8] On May 20, 2021, her nomination was favorably reported by the committee by a 12–10 vote.[9] On June 21, 2021, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer filed cloture on her nomination.[10] On June 23, 2021, the United States Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 53–47 vote.[11] On June 24, 2021, her nomination was confirmed by a 53–40 vote.[12] She received her judicial commission on July 1, 2021.[13] She is the second African-American woman (after Ann Claire Williams)[14] and the first former federal public defender[15] to sit on the Seventh Circuit.

U.S. Supreme Court speculation

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In January 2022, Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen Breyer announced that he would retire at the end of the term.[16][17] Jackson-Akiwumi was included in lists of potential nominees for a Supreme Court appointment under President Joe Biden, who pledged to nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court if given the opportunity. Ultimately, Biden nominated Ketanji Brown Jackson, who was confirmed in April of that year.[18][19][20][21]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees: Candace Jackson-Akiwumi
  2. ^ "Judge Breyer Mum on Brother's Retirement: 'He Loves His Job'". Bloomberg Law. May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  3. ^ "The Jacksons' Judicial Philosophy". University of Virginia School of Law. 2018-04-27. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  4. ^ a b c "President Biden Announces Intent to Nominate 11 Judicial Candidates", White House, March 30, 2021 Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. ^ "Candace Jackson-Akiwumi". Zuckerman Spaeder LLP. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  6. ^ Voruganti, Harsh (2021-05-03). "Candace Jackson-Akiwumi – Nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit". The Vetting Room. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  7. ^ "Nominations Sent to the Senate", White House, April 19, 2021
  8. ^ United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Nominations for April 28, 2021
  9. ^ Results of Executive Business Meeting – May 20, 2021, Senate Judiciary Committee
  10. ^ "PN392 — Candace Jackson-Akiwumi — The Judiciary". Congress.gov. Retrieved 2023-07-01.
  11. ^ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Candace Jackson-Akiwumi to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit)". United States Senate. June 23, 2021.
  12. ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Candace Jackson-Akiwumi, of Illinois, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit)". United States Senate. June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  13. ^ Candace Jackson-Akiwumi at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  14. ^ Sweet, Lynn (March 30, 2021). "President Biden picks ex-federal public defender Candace Jackson-Akiwumi for Chicago federal appeals court seat". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  15. ^ Meisner, Jason; Crepeau, Megan (March 30, 2021). "Biden's first wave of judicial nominees would put only Black woman on Chicago appeals court". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  16. ^ "Biden expected to nominate first black woman to Supreme Court". BBC News. 2022-01-27. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  17. ^ "Justice Stephen Breyer to retire from Supreme Court, paving way for Biden appointment". NBC News. 27 January 2022. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  18. ^ Millhiser, Ian (2022-01-26). "Who is on Biden's shortlist to replace retiring Justice Breyer?". Vox. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  19. ^ "At least 3 judges eyed as Biden mulls Supreme Court pick". AP NEWS. 2022-01-26. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  20. ^ Ariane de Vogue and Tierney Sneed (26 January 2022). "Biden said he'd put a Black woman on the Supreme Court. Here's who he may pick to replace Breyer". CNN. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  21. ^ Gershman, Jacob (2022-01-26). "Biden's First Supreme Court Vacancy: A Look at Potential Candidates to Replace Breyer". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
[edit]
Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
2021–present 		Incumbent
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