Linda Thompson Walker (born 1960) is a federal

magistrate judge The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...

for the

United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia The United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia (in case citations, N.D. Ga.) is a United States district court which serves the residents of forty-six counties. These are divided up into four divisions. Appeals from cases ...

and formerly a nominee for a

seat A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair (furniture), ...

on that court. Her nomination was returned to the President on December 17, 2011, pursuant to the rules of the Senate.

Early life

Walker received her J.D. in 1989 from the University of Georgia School of Law, her M.S. in 1987 from

Atlanta University Clark Atlanta University (CAU or Clark Atlanta) is a private, Methodist, historically black research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Clark Atlanta is the first Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the Southern United States. Founde ...

, and her B.S. in 1983 from

Southern University Southern University and A&M College (Southern University, Southern, SUBR or SU) is a public historically black land-grant university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is the largest historically black college or university (HBCU) in Louisiana, a ...

. From 1989 to 1990, Walker served as a law clerk to Judge G. Ernest Tidwell of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. From 1990 to 1992 she worked as a litigation associate at the law firm of Webb & Daniel in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

. Walker served as Deputy County Attorney (1992–1997) and as County Attorney (1997–1999) for

Fulton County Fulton County is the name of eight counties in the United States of America. Most are named for Robert Fulton, inventor of the first practical steamboat: *Fulton County, Arkansas, named after Governor William Savin Fulton *Fulton County, Georgia *F ...

, and as director of the County’s Board of Registration and Elections in 1999. Since 2000 she has been a magistrate judge.

Nomination to federal district court

Walker was recommended for a judgeship on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia by Republican Senators Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson. She had also been considered by a Democratic search committee led by former Representative

Buddy Darden George Washington "Buddy" Darden III (born November 22, 1943) is an American politician and lawyer from Georgia. He served in the state house and then for more than five terms as Congressman from Georgia. Early life Darden was born in Hancock C ...

, but she was not recommended by that committee. On January 26, 2011, President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

nominated Walker to fill the Northern District of Georgia vacancy created by the elevation of Judge Beverly B. Martin to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Her nomination went on hold because Senators Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson refused to support another nominee for another seat on the same district, Natasha Perdew Silas. Walker was part of a packaged deal with Silas, a Democrat and the choice of the Democratic delegation to Congress from Georgia. Her nomination was returned to the President on December 17, 2011, pursuant to the rules of the Senate.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Linda T. 1960 births Living people People from Gloster, Mississippi Southern University alumni Clark Atlanta University alumni University of Georgia alumni African-American judges American women judges United States magistrate judges 21st-century African-American people 21st-century African-American women 20th-century African-American people 20th-century African-American women

Early life

Nomination to federal district court

See also

References