Carolyn Nancy Lerner (born January 13, 1965) is an American

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...

who is a

judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

of the

United States Court of Federal Claims The United States Court of Federal Claims (in case citations, Fed. Cl. or C.F.C.) is a United States federal court that hears monetary claims against the U.S. government. It was established by statute in 1982 as the United States Claims Court, ...

Early life and education

Lerner was born on January 13, 1965, in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

. She received her

Bachelor of General Studies A Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) is a highly interdisciplinary undergraduate academic degree offered by colleges and universities that "allows students to combine and explore multiple subjects." The concept of general studies derives from the ...

with distinction, from the Honors College at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

in 1986 and her

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

from the

New York University Law School New York University School of Law (NYU Law) is the law school of New York University, a private research university in New York City. Established in 1835, it is the oldest law school in New York City and the oldest surviving law school in New ...

in 1989, where she was a Root-Tilden Scholar."President Biden Names Fifth Round of Judicial Nominees", White House, June 30, 2021

Legal and academic career

Lerner served as a law clerk for Chief Judge Julian A. Cook of the

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (in case citations, E.D. Mich.) is the United States district court, federal district court with jurisdiction over of the eastern half of the Lower Peninsula of the State o ...

. From 1991 to 1996, she was a litigation attorney at Kator, Scott, Heller & Huron 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, ...

In 1997, she was a founding partner of the law firm Heller, Huron, Chertkof, Lerner, Simon & Salzman, practicing at that firm until 2011. From 2003 to 2005, she served as the Special Inspector for the Office of Special Inspector at the D.C. Department of Corrections. She was also the

Special Master In the law of the United States, a special master is generally a subordinate official appointed by a judge to ensure judicial orders are followed, or in the alternative, to hear evidence on behalf of the judge and make recommendations to the jud ...

for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in a sexual harassment and retaliation class action. She was previously unanimously confirmed to head the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, where she served from 2011 to 2017. Lerner is an adjunct law professor at

Georgetown University Law Center The Georgetown University Law Center (Georgetown Law) is the law school of Georgetown University, a private research university in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1870 and is the largest law school in the United States by enrollment and ...

, and was previously an adjunct law professor at

George Washington University Law School The George Washington University Law School (GW Law) is the law school of George Washington University, in Washington, D.C. Established in 1865, GW Law is the oldest top law school in the national capital. GW Law offers the largest range of cou ...

. Since 2017, she has been the chief circuit mediator for the U.S. Courts of the D.C. Circuit.

Claims court service

On June 30, 2021, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Lerner to serve as a

of the

. On July 13, 2021, her nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Lerner to the seat vacated by Judge Margaret M. Sweeney, who assumed

senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...

on October 23, 2020. A hearing on her nomination before the

Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...

was scheduled to take place on August 11, 2021, but was postponed. On October 6, 2021, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee. On October 28, 2021, her nomination was reported out of committee by a

voice vote In parliamentary procedure, a voice vote (from the Latin ''viva voce'', meaning "live voice") or acclamation is a voting method in deliberative assemblies (such as legislatures) in which a group vote is taken on a topic or motion by responding vo ...

, with Senators

Mike Lee Michael Shumway Lee (born June 4, 1971) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Utah, a seat he has held since 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party. Lee began his career as a clerk for the U ...

Josh Hawley Joshua David Hawley (born December 31, 1979) is an American politician and lawyer who has served as the junior United States senator from Missouri since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Hawley served as the 42nd attorney general of Mi ...

, and

Marsha Blackburn Mary Marsha Blackburn (née Wedgeworth; born June 6, 1952) is an American politician and businesswoman serving as the senior United States Senate, United States senator from Tennessee, a seat she has held since 2019. She is a member of the Repu ...

voting "nay" on record. On December 18, 2021, the Senate confirmed Lerner by a

. She received her judicial commission on February 17, 2022.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lerner, Carolyn N. 1965 births Living people 20th-century American women lawyers 20th-century American lawyers 21st-century American judges 21st-century American lawyers 21st-century American women lawyers George Washington University Law School faculty Georgetown University Law Center faculty Judges of the United States Court of Federal Claims Lawyers from Detroit Lawyers from Washington, D.C. New York University School of Law alumni United States Article I federal judges appointed by Joe Biden University of Michigan alumni 21st-century American women judges