Lindsay C. Jenkins

Summary

Lindsay Carole Jenkins (born 1977)[1][2] is an American lawyer and former assistant United States attorney from Illinois who is serving as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Lindsay C. Jenkins
Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Assumed office
February 24, 2023
Appointed byJoe Biden
Preceded byJohn Z. Lee
Personal details
Born
Lindsey Carole Clayton

1977 (age 46–47)
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
EducationMiami University (BA)
Cleveland State University (JD)

Education edit

Jenkins received a Bachelor of Arts from Miami University in 1998 and a Juris Doctor, summa cum laude, from Cleveland–Marshall College of Law of Cleveland State University in 2002.[3][4]

Career edit

From 2002 to 2004, she served as a law clerk for Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. From 2004 to 2006, she was an associate at Jones Day. From 2006 to 2021, she was an assistant United States attorney in the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois;[3] she has served in roles, including Deputy Chief and later Chief of the General Crimes section and eventually Chief of the Violent Crimes section. From 2021 to 2023, she was a partner at Cooley LLP in Chicago,[3][5] where her focus was on white collar crime.[6] She has taught trial advocacy courses at Loyola University Chicago School of Law and at the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law on the Chicago gun violence epidemic.[7]

Notable prosecutions edit

In 2015, Jenkins helped prosecute Chicago's public schools chief Barbara Byrd-Bennett. Byrd-Bennett pleaded guilty in federal court to using her position as chief executive officer of the Chicago Public Schools to guide lucrative no-bid contracts to her former employer in exchange for bribes and kickbacks.[8][9][10]

In 2016, Jenkins was part of a team of lawyers from the United States Department of Justice that investigated the force practices of the Chicago Police Department,[7] being part of the prosecution team in United States v. Aldo Brown.[11]

Federal judicial service edit

In December 2021, Jenkins was recommended to the president by Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth.[12] On July 14, 2022, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Jenkins[13] to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.[3] On September 19, 2022, her nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Jenkins to the seat vacated by Judge John Z. Lee, who was elevated to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit on September 12, 2022.[14] On October 12, 2022, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[15] On December 1, 2022, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 15–7 vote.[16] On January 3, 2023, her nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate; she was renominated later the same day.[17] On February 2, 2023, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 14–6 vote.[18] On February 14, 2023, the Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 58–41 vote.[19] That same day, her nomination was confirmed by a 59–40 vote.[20] She received her judicial commission on February 24, 2023.[21] She was sworn in on February 27, 2023.[22]

Notable rulings edit

On April 18, 2023, Jenkins dismissed a lawsuit against a school district by a parent claiming his parental rights were violated under the 14th Amendment, alleging the school district facilitated his child's gender transition.[23]

On April 27, 2023, Jenkins declined to block enforcement of the Protect Illinois Communities Act, an assault weapons ban. In reasoning that the assault weapons ban is consistent with the Supreme Court holding in Bruen, Jenkins said "because assault weapons are particularly dangerous weapons and high-capacity magazines are particularly dangerous weapon accessories, their regulation accords with history and tradition."[24] The 7th Circuit subsequently affirmed Jenkins' ruling on November 4, 2023.[25]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  2. ^ "Lindsay Carole Jenkins Profile". www.martindale.com. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d "President Biden Names Twenty-Third Round of Judicial Nominees" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. June 29, 2022. Retrieved July 14, 2022.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. ^ "Lindsay C. Jenkins Profile". www.martindale.com. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  5. ^ "Accomplished Federal Prosecutor Joins Cooley in Chicago". www.cooley.com. December 6, 2021. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  6. ^ "Lindsay Jenkins".
  7. ^ a b "Lindsay C. Jenkins". Chicago Daily Law Bulletin. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  8. ^ Thomas, David (December 16, 2021). "Democrats recommend judges for Chicago federal court". Reuters – via www.reuters.com.
  9. ^ "Northern District of Illinois | Former Chief Executive of Chicago Public Schools Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes and Kickbacks to Steer No-Bid Contracts | United States Department of Justice". www.justice.gov. October 13, 2015.
  10. ^ "Ex-Chicago Schools Chief Asks For 3.5 Years After Guilty Plea - Law360". www.law360.com.
  11. ^ "Lindsay C. Jenkins" (PDF). The Chicago Network. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  12. ^ Thomas, David (December 16, 2021). "Democrats recommend judges for Chicago federal court". Reuters. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  13. ^ Thomas, David (December 16, 2021). "Democrats recommend judges for Chicago federal court". Reuters – via www.reuters.com.
  14. ^ "Nominations Sent to the Senate" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. September 19, 2022.
  15. ^ "Nominations". Washington, D.C.: United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. October 9, 2022.
  16. ^ "Results of Executive Business Meeting – December 1, 2022" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  17. ^ "Nominations Sent to the Senate" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. January 3, 2023.
  18. ^ "Results of Executive Business Meeting – February 2, 2023" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  19. ^ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Lindsay C. Jenkins to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois)". United States Senate. February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  20. ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Lindsay C. Jenkins, of Illinois, to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois)". United States Senate. February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  21. ^ Lindsay C. Jenkins at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  22. ^ "Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins Sworn in as District Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois" (PDF). ilnd.uscourts.gov (Press release). February 27, 2023. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  23. ^ Bilyk, Jonathan (April 19, 2023). "Judge: No fundamental right for father to forbid Villa Park school district from helping child change genders". Cook County Record. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  24. ^ Hancock, Peter (April 27, 2023). "Federal judge refuses to block assault weapons ban enforcement". Capitol News Illinois. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  25. ^ Gorman, Steve (November 4, 2023). "US appeals court upholds Illinois assault weapons ban". Reuters. Archived from the original on November 4, 2023.

External links edit

Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
2023–present
Incumbent