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Johnnie B. Rawlinson

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Johnnie Rawlinson
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Incumbent
Assumed office
July 26, 2000
Appointed byBill Clinton
Preceded byMelvin T. Brunetti
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada
In office
April 7, 1998 – July 26, 2000
Appointed byBill Clinton
Preceded byLloyd D. George
Succeeded byLarry R. Hicks
Personal details
Born
Johnnie Mae Blakeney

(1952-12-16) December 16, 1952 (age 71)
Concord, North Carolina, U.S.
EducationNorth Carolina A&T State University (BS)
University of the Pacific (JD)
Duke University (MJur)

Johnnie Mae Blakeney Rawlinson[1] (born December 16, 1952)[2] is a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada.

Early life and career

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Rawlinson was born in Concord, North Carolina. Rawlinson received most of her education in North Carolina, where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree summa cum laude from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in 1974. She graduated with distinction from the McGeorge School of Law at the University of the Pacific, receiving her Juris Doctor in 1979.[2] In 1980, Rawlinson and Viveca Monet Woods became the first African American women admitted to practice law in Nevada.[3][4]

She had served as deputy district attorney and chief deputy for over 17 years in the office of the Clark County District Attorney in Las Vegas, Nevada,[5] as well as receiving law practice as a clerk at Kiefer Clark & O'Reilly and other legal services throughout the United States prior to her appointments.[2] She served as a United States district judge after being nominated by President Clinton and confirmed by the United States Senate in 1997. She was the first female judge to serve on the United States District Court for the District of Nevada.[citation needed]

In 2016, Judge Rawlinson received a Master of Judicial Studies degree from Duke University School of Law.[6]

Federal judicial service

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District court service

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Rawlinson was a federal judge to the United States District Court for the District of Nevada. Rawlinson was nominated by President Bill Clinton on January 27, 1998, to a seat vacated by Lloyd D. George. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on April 2, 1998, and received commission on April 7, 1998. Rawlinson's service was terminated on July 26, 2000, due to elevation to the court of appeals.[7]

Court of appeals service

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Rawlinson was nominated by President Bill Clinton on February 22, 2000, to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit after being recommended for the post by United States Senator Harry Reid. Rawlinson was nominated to a seat vacated by Melvin T. Brunetti. Rawlinson was confirmed by the United States Senate by a voice vote on July 21, 2000, making her the final appeals-court nominee to be confirmed during Clinton's presidency. She received her commission on July 26, 2000.[8] Rawlinson subsequently took the oath of office on the same day, becoming the first African American woman to sit on the Ninth Circuit.

On April 14, 2022, news reports stated Rawlinson suggested she would consider assuming senior status, creating a vacancy for her seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, if Berna Rhodes-Ford, former law clerk and wife of Aaron D. Ford, would be nominated as her successor.[9][10]

Personal life

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Rawlinson resides in Las Vegas.[5] Her husband of 40 years, Dwight Rawlinson, died of cancer in August 2016.[11]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Hearings before the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, One Hundred Sixth Congress, Second Session, on Confirmations of Appointees to the Federal Judiciary, May 25, June 15, July 12, and July 25, 2000. U.S. Government Printing Office. 2001. p. 377.
  2. ^ a b c "Profile of Judge Johnnie B. Rawlinson". Appellate Counsellor. Calvin House. July 22, 2000. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved December 13, 2007.
  3. ^ Anderson, Rachel J. (2013). "Blacks in the Nevada Legal Profession". University of Nevada, Las Vegas -- William S. Boyd School of Law.
  4. ^ Anderson, Rachel J. (February 2012). "Timeline of African-American Legal History in Nevada (1861-2011)".
  5. ^ a b "Johnnie B. Rawlinson biography". Press Release. Pepperdine University. May 2007. Retrieved January 19, 2008.
  6. ^ "Duke Law Graduation 2016 | Judge Johnnie B. Rawlinson". Duke University School of Law. May 14, 2016. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  7. ^ Johnnie B. Rawlinson at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  8. ^ Johnnie B. Rawlinson at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  9. ^ Raymond, Nate (14 April 2022). "9th Circuit judge urges Biden, Nevada senators to pick state AG's wife as successor". Reuters.
  10. ^ "Biden's Judicial Nominees: Turnabout is Fair Play". 15 April 2022.
  11. ^ "Dwight Rawlinson Obituary". Las Vegas Review Journal. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
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Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada
1998–2000 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
2000–present 		Incumbent
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