Robin M. Meriweather

American judge (born 1974)
Robin M. Meriweather
Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims
Incumbent
Assumed office
August 8, 2024
Appointed byJoe Biden
Preceded byPatricia E. Campbell-Smith
Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
In office
January 10, 2017 – August 8, 2024
Personal details
Born
Robin Michelle Meriweather

1974 (age 49–50)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Michigan (BA)
Yale University (JD)

Robin Michelle Meriweather (born 1974)[1] is an American lawyer who has served as a judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims since 2024. She previously served as a United States magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia from 2017 to 2024.

Education

Meriweather received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan in 1995 and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 1998.[2]

Career

From 1998 to 1999, Meriweather served as a law clerk for Judge Merrick Garland of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. From 1999 to 2007, she worked in private practice as an associate at Jenner & Block in their Washington, D.C. office.[3] From 2007 to 2017, she served as an assistant United States attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, including as the deputy chief of the Civil Division in that office from 2011 to 2017.[2] She served as a United States magistrate judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia from January 10, 2017 to August 8, 2024.[4]

Court of claims service

On December 19, 2023, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Meriweather to serve as a judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims.[2] On January 10, 2024, her nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Meriweather to the seat vacated by Judge Patricia E. Campbell-Smith, who retired on September 30, 2023.[5] On January 24, 2024, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[6] During her confirmation hearing, she was questioned by Republican senators over her record and prior experience as a magistrate judge on the D.C. district court. She was asked about her decision to grant a 21-day release motion for a defendant in a child pornography case so that he could seek cancer treatment. Her decision was reversed by the D.C. Circuit.[7] On February 29, 2024, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–9 vote.[8] On July 9, 2024, the United States Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 53–42 vote.[9] On July 11, 2024, her nomination was confirmed by a 52–39 vote.[10] She received her judicial commission on August 8, 2024,[11] and took the oath of office on August 9, 2024.[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "President Biden Names Forty-Third Round of Judicial Nominees" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ "Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Judiciary Committee Hearing on Six Judicial Nominations". United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary (Press release). January 24, 2024. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  4. ^ "Robin Meriweather | United States Courts". www.uscourts.gov. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  5. ^ "Nominations Press Release Attached" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. January 10, 2024.
  6. ^ "Nominations". Washington, D.C.: United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. January 23, 2024.
  7. ^ Weiss, Benjamin S. (January 24, 2024). "Smooth sailing in Senate Judiciary for GOP-backed court nominees". Courthouse News. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  8. ^ "Results of Executive Business Meeting – February 29, 2024" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  9. ^ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Robin Michelle Meriweather to be a Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims)". United States Senate. July 9, 2024. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  10. ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Robin Michelle Meriweather, of Virginia, to be a Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims for a term of fifteen years)". United States Senate. July 11, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  11. ^ Robin M. Meriweather at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  12. ^ "Robin M. Meriweather took the oath of office on August 9, 2024, as a Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims". uscfc.uscourts.gov (Press release). Retrieved August 12, 2024.
Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims
2024–present 		Incumbent