Jennifer Hutchison Rearden (born 1970) 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 ...

from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

who is serving as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York

Education

Rearden earned her Bachelor of Arts, ''

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...

'', from Yale University in 1992, 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 New York University School of Law in 1996.

Legal career

Rearden practiced at Davis Polk & Wardwell and in the Atlanta office of King & Spalding. In 2003, she joined Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in New York City, where she is a partner in the commercial litigation and crisis management practice groups. While working at the firm, she represented Chevron. She has litigated complex commercial cases before United States District Courts and state courts.

Federal judicial service

Expired nomination to district court under Trump

On February 12, 2020, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Rearden to serve as a United States district judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. She had been strongly recommended by

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

Kirsten Gillibrand and was nominated as part of a bipartisan package of judicial nominees. On May 4, 2020, her nomination was sent to the Senate. President Trump nominated Rearden to the seat vacated by Judge

Richard J. Sullivan Richard Joseph Sullivan (born April 10, 1964) is an American lawyer who serves as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He was formerly a United States district judge of the United States Di ...

, who was elevated to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on October 25, 2018. On January 3, 2021, her nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate.

Renomination to district court under Biden

On January 19, 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Rearden to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. She was renominated to the same seat as her previous nomination. Rearden's nomination was criticized by Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), who brought up Rearden's controversial role in the prosecution of

Steven Donziger Steven R. Donziger (born September 14, 1961) is an American attorney known for his legal battles with Chevron, particularly '' Aguinda v. Texaco, Inc.'' and other cases in which he represented over 30,000 farmers and indigenous people who suffer ...

. Rearden represented Chevron in its countersuit against Donziger, an

environmental lawyer Environmental law is a collective term encompassing aspects of the law that provide protection to the environment. A related but distinct set of regulatory regimes, now strongly influenced by environmental legal principles, focus on the manage ...

who brought a class action case against Chevron related to environmental damage and health effects caused by oil drilling. On March 2, 2022, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee. On April 4, 2022, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 22–0 vote. On September 8, 2022, the United States Senate confirmed her nomination by a voice vote. She received her judicial commission on October 7, 2022. After the Senate confirmed her nomination, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren announced that she would vote against her nomination if the Senate proceeded to a roll call vote on Rearden's nomination.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rearden, Jennifer Hutchison 1970 births Living people 21st-century American women lawyers 21st-century American judges 21st-century American lawyers 21st-century American women judges Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York Lawyers from New York City New York (state) Democrats New York University School of Law alumni People associated with Gibson Dunn United States district court judges appointed by Joe Biden Yale University alumni