Vanessa Bryant
2021 - Present
4
Vanessa Lynne Bryant is a federal judge on senior status with the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut. Bryant joined the court in April 2007 after being nominated by President George W. Bush.[1] She assumed senior status on February 1, 2021.[2]
Early life and education
A native of New York, New York, Bryant graduated from Howard University with her bachelor's degree in 1975 and from the University of Connecticut School of Law with her J.D. in 1978.[1]
Professional career
- 2007 - Present: Judge, United States District Court for the District of Connecticut
- 2021-Present: Senior judge
- 2007-2021: Judge
- 1998-2007: Judge, Connecticut Supreme Court
- 1992-1998: Private practice, Hartford, Conn.
- 1990-1992: Vice president and general counsel, Connecticut Housing Finance Authority
- 1989-1990: Counsel, Shawmut Bank
- 1981-1989: Counsel, Aetna Life & Casual Company
- 1978-1981: Private practice, Hartford, Conn.[1]
Judicial career
District of Connecticut
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: Vanessa Lynne Bryant |
| Court: United States District Court for the District of Connecticut |
| Progress |
| Returned 318 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: January 25, 2006
|
| ABA Rating: Substantial Majority Qualified, Minority Not Qualified
|
| Questionnaire: |
| Hearing: September 26, 2006
|
| Hearing Transcript: Hearing Transcript |
| QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: March 8, 2007 March 28, 2007
|
 Confirmed:
|
| Vote: Voice vote
|
| Returned: December 9, 2006
|
Bryant was first nominated to the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut by President George W. Bush on January 25, 2006, to a seat vacated by Dominic Squatrito. Hearings on Bryant's nomination were held before the Senate Judiciary Committee on September 26, 2006. Under provisions of Rule XXXI, paragraph six of the standing rules of the Senate, Bryant's nomination was returned to the president on December 9, 2006. President Bush resubmitted the nomination on January 9, 2007. The American Bar Association rated Bryant Substantial Majority Qualified, Minority Not Qualified for the nomination. Bryant's nomination was reported by U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on March 8, 2007, without additional hearings. Bryant was confirmed on a voice vote of the U.S. Senate on March 28, 2007, and she received her commission on April 2, 2007.[1][3][4][5]
Bryant assumed senior status on February 1, 2021.[2]
Noteworthy cases
Defense of Marriage Act ruling (2012)
In July 2012, Judge Bryant ruled that the federal government's Defense of Marriage Act was unconstitutional. The judge held the law violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The government was represented by the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group, as the Obama administration earlier stated it would no longer defend the law.[6][7]
The full opinion can be accessed at this link: United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, Pedersen et al v. Office of Personnel Management et al.
See also
- United States District Court for the District of Connecticut
- United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Judge Bryant's biography from the Federal Judicial Center
- Office website
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Federal Judicial Center, "Biography of Judge Vanessa Lynne Bryant," accessed May 18, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, "Vanessa L. Bryant," accessed February 12, 2021
- ↑ United States Congress, "PN 1181 — Vanessa Lynne Bryant — The Judiciary," accessed May 18, 2017
- ↑ United States Congress, "PN 6 — Vanessa Lynne Bryant — The Judiciary," accessed May 18, 2017
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III judicial nominees, 110th Congress," accessed May 18, 2017
- ↑ The Associated Press, "US gay marriage law unconstitutional, Conn. judge says," July 31, 2012
- ↑ The Advocate, "DOMA Ruled Unconstitutional In Yet Another Case," July 31, 2012
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Dominic Squatrito |
District of Connecticut 2007–2021 Seat #8 |
Succeeded by: Sarala Nagala
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| 2001 |
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| 2002 |
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| 2003 |
Adams • Altonaga • Bea • Benitez • Bennett • Boyle • Brack • Breen • Browning • Burns • Bybee • Callahan • Campbell • Cardone • Carney • Castel • Chertoff • Cohn • Colloton • Conrad • Coogler • Cook • Cooke • Crone • Der-Yeghiayan • Drell • Duffey • Duncan • Erickson • Feuerstein • Figa • Filip • Fischer • Fisher • Flanagan • Floyd • Frost • Gibson • Greer • Gruender • Guirola • Hall • Hardiman • Hayes • Herrera • Hicks • Holmes • Holwell • Hopkins • Houston • Irizarry • Jones • Junell • Karas • Kravitz • Martinez • McKnight • Minaldi • Montalvo • Mosman • Otero • Pickering • Prado • Pratter • Proctor • Quarles • Robart • Roberts • Robinson • Rodgers • Rodriguez • Sabraw • Sanchez • Saylor • Selna • Sharpe • Simon • Springmann • Stanceu • Steele • Stengel • Suko • Sutton • Sykes • Titus • Townes • Tymkovich • Van Antwerpen • Varlan • Wake • Wesley • White • Woodcock • Yeakel | ||
| 2004 |
Alvarez • Benton • Boyko • Covington • Diamond • Harwell • Kelley • Schiavelli • Schneider • Starrett • Watson | ||
| 2005 |
Alito • Barrett • Batten • Bianco • Brown • Burgess • Conrad • Cox • Crotty • Delgado-Colon • Dever • DuBose • Griffin • Griffith • Johnston • Kendall • Larson • Ludington • Mattice • McKeague • Neilson • Owen • Pryor • Roberts • Sandoval • Schiltz • Seabright • Smoak • Van Tatenhove • Vitaliano • Watkins • Zouhary | ||
| 2006 |
Besosa • Bumb • Chagares • Cogan • Gelpi • Golden • Gordon • Gorsuch • Guilford • Hillman • Holmes • Ikuta • D. Jordan • K. Jordan • Kavanaugh • Miller • Moore • Shepherd • Sheridan • Smith • Whitney • Wigenton | ||
| 2007 |
Anderson • Aycock • Bailey • Bryant • Davis • DeGiusti • Dow • Elrod • Fairbank • Fischer • Frizzell • Gutierrez • Hall • Hardiman • Haynes • Howard • Jarvey • Jones • Jonker • Kapala • Kays • Laplante • Limbaugh • Lioi • Livingston • Maloney • Mauskopf • Mendez • Miller • Neff • O'Connor • O'Grady • O'Neill • Osteen • Ozerden • Reidinger • Sammartino • Schroeder • Settle • Smith • Snow • Southwick • Suddaby • Sullivan • Thapar • Tinder • Van Bokkelen • Wood • Wright • Wu | ||
| 2008 |
Agee • Anello • Arguello • Brimmer • Gardephe • Goldberg • Jones • Kethledge • Lawrence • Matsumoto • Melgren • Murphy • Scriven • Seibel • Slomsky • Trenga • Waddoups • White | ||
Federal courts:
Second Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Connecticut • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Connecticut
State courts:
Connecticut Supreme Court • Connecticut Appellate Court • Connecticut Superior Court • Connecticut Probate Courts
State resources:
Courts in Connecticut • Connecticut judicial elections • Judicial selection in Connecticut
