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Constance Motley
Constance Baker Motley (1921-2005) was a federal judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. She was the first black woman to become a federal judge.[1]
Motley was nominated by President Lyndon Johnson on January 26, 1966, to a seat vacated by Archie Dawson; she was confirmed by the Senate on August 30, 1966, and received commission that same day. She served as chief judge from 1982-1986. Motley was succeeded in this position by Kimba Wood. She assumed senior status on September 30, 1986, and served in that capacity until her death on September 28, 2005.[2]
Early life and education
- New York University, B.A., 1943
- Columbia Law School, LL.B., 1946[2]
Professional career
- Attorney, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, 1945-1965
- Member, New York State Advisory Council on Employment and Unemployment Insurance, 1958-1964
- Member, New York State Senate, 1964-1965
- President, Borough of Manhattan, New York, 1965-1966[2]
Judicial nominations and appointments
Southern District of New York
Motley was nominated by President Lyndon Johnson on January 26, 1966, to a seat vacated by Archie Dawson; she was confirmed by the Senate on August 30, 1966, and received commission that same day. She served as chief judge from 1982-1986. Motley was succeeded in this position by Kimba Wood. She assumed senior status on September 30, 1986, and served in that capacity until her death on September 28, 2005.[2]
Footnotes
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Archie Dawson |
Southern District of New York 1966–1986 |
Succeeded by: Kimba Wood
|
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 |
Anderson • Bratton • Christie • Collins • Cowen • Davis • Ely • Freedman • Gordon • Higginbotham • McNichols • Muecke • Nichols • Port • Rabinovitz • Robinson • Simons • Suttle • Weber • Whelan • Zampano | ||
| 1965 |
Bryant • Celebrezze • Coffin • Coleman • Collinson • Corcoran • Doyle • Eubanks • Fortas • Frankel • Gasch • Gibson • Gordon • Harris • Hemphill • Hill • Hunter • Landis • Langley • Leventhal • Maxwell • McEntee • Mehrtens • Nichol • Reynolds • Russell • Smith • Tamm • Thornberry • Young | ||
| 1966 |
Ainsworth • Atkins • Boyle • Cabot • Cassibry • Copple • Craven • Cummings • Dyer • Fairchild • Feinberg • Ferguson • Fullam • Garrity • Godbold • Goldberg • Goodwin • Gray • Guinn • Harvey • Hauk • Heaney • Heebe • Hickey • Hogan • Kaufman • Kinneary • Krentzman • Lay • Leddy • Lord • Lynch • MacKenzie • Mansfield • McCree • McRae • Mitchell • Motley • Napoli • Nichols • Noland • Peck II • Peckham • Pettine • Pittman • Porter • Real • Roberts • Robinson • Robinson • Rubin • Russell • Scott • Seals • Seitz • Simpson • Singleton • Skelton • Smith • Smith • Taylor • Thomas • von der Heydt • Watson • Winter • Wise | ||
| 1967 |
Arnow • Beckworth • Belloni • Butzner • Cancio • Carter • Clayton • Combs • Comiskey • Curtin • Eaton • Edenfield • Fernandez-Badillo • Gesell • Gordon • Jones • Keith • Kellam • Lambros • Maletz • Marshall • Masterson • Merhige • Morgan • Murray • Neville • Pollack • Pregerson • Theis • Troutman • Van Dusen • Waddy • Weiner • Weinstein • Whipple • Williams | ||
| 1968 |
Aldisert • Baldwin • Bownes • Bright • Green • Gubow • Henderson • Holloway • Hufstedler • Judd • Justice • Keady • Kerner, Jr. • Lasker • Latchum • Lawrence • McMillan • Morgan • Newman • Nixon • Pratt • Re • Rosenstein • Schwartz • Smith • Stahl • Travia • Woodward | ||
