Annice M. Wagner (born September 9, 1937) is a former judge of the

District of Columbia Court of Appeals The District of Columbia Court of Appeals is the highest court of the District of Columbia, in the United States. Established in 1970, it is equivalent to a state supreme court, except that its authority is derived from the United States Congr ...

. She served as Chief Judge from 1994 to 2005.

Biography

Born and raised in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, Wagner attended the city's prestigious Dunbar High School, graduating in 1955.Nomination of Annice M. Wagner
Hearing before the Committee on Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, May 22, 1990 She earned her undergraduate and law degrees at

Wayne State University Wayne State University (WSU) is a public research university in Detroit, Michigan. It is Michigan's third-largest university. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 350 programs to nearly 25,000 ...

in 1959 and 1962, respectively. After law school, Wagner spent a decade in private practice in Washington, including at Houston & Gardner, also home to her future colleagues

Emmet G. Sullivan Emmet Gael Sullivan (born June 4, 1947) is an American attorney and jurist serving as a Senior status, Senior United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. He earne ...

and Theodore R. Newman, Jr. From 1973 to 1975, Wagner served as

general counsel A general counsel, also known as chief counsel or chief legal officer (CLO), is the chief in-house lawyer for a company or a governmental department. In a company, the person holding the position typically reports directly to the CEO, and their ...

of the National Capital Housing Authority, predecessor to the District of Columbia Housing Authority. In 1975, Wagner was appointed People's Counsel, an office of the District of Columbia government that represents and advocates for utility consumers.

D.C. Judgeship

In June 1977, Wagner became a judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, and in 1990 she was elevated to the Court of Appeals. She was designated chief judge on June 13, 1994, and redesignated to that position in 1998 and 2002. Under her leadership, relations within the court became more collegial and harmonious. In 2005, she took senior status, and in 2013 she retired from the bench.

References

Lawyers from Washington, D.C. Judges of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals Judges of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia African-American judges 1937 births Living people Wayne State University Law School alumni Wayne State University alumni 20th-century American judges 21st-century American judges 20th-century American women judges 21st-century American women judges 20th-century African-American women 20th-century African-American people 21st-century African-American women 21st-century African-American people {{US-state-judge-stub