Good morning Pragmatic Obots.
Today’s federal judge is the Honorable Bernice Donald.
On December 1, 2010, President Obama nominated Judge Bernice Bouie Donald for a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. The Sixth Circuit has appellate jurisdiction over federal district courts in Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky and Michigan.
“Judge Donald has shown an outstanding commitment to public service throughout her career and as a District Judge in Tennessee,” President Obama said. “I am proud to nominate her today for a seat on the United States Court of Appeals and I am confident she will serve the American people with distinction.” The Senate confirmed her in a 96–2 vote on September 6, 2011.
Judge Donald was born and raised in Desoto County, Mississippi. In the 1960s, Judge Donald was one of the first students to integrate Olive Branch High School. In 1974, she graduated from Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis) and in 1979 she received her law degree buy viagra ukraine from the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at Memphis State University.
After graduating from law school, Judge Donald worked briefly as a sole practitioner before accepting a position as a staff attorney at Memphis Area Legal Services, where she provided legal assistance to low-income individuals. In 1981, she joined the Shelby County Public Defender’s Office. In 1982, Judge Donald was elected to serve as a judge on the Court of General Sessions in Shelby County, making her the first female African-American judge in the history of Tennessee.
In 1988, she became the first female African-American federal bankruptcy judge in the nation when she was appointed to that position by the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. On December 7, 1995, Donald was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a seat on the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 22, 1995.
Judge Donald currently serves as the Secretary of the American Bar Association. She gives a good deal of her time to community organizations: the Memphis Literacy Council, the University of Memphis alumni board, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Calvary Street Ministry, the YWCA, and many others.