Eunice Lee | |
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| Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit | |
| Assumed office August 16, 2021 | |
| Appointed by | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Robert Katzmann |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1970 (age 55–56) |
| Education | Ohio State University (BA) Yale University (JD) |
Eunice Cheryl Lee (born 1970)[1] is an American lawyer who serves as aUnited States circuit judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Born inWest Germany, she attendedOhio State University andYale Law School. In 2021, she was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve on the Second Circuit after being nominated by PresidentJoe Biden.[2]
Lee was born on aUnited States Air Force base inWiesbaden, Germany.[3] She graduated fromOhio State University in 1993 with aBachelor of Arts degree,summa cum laude. She then attendedYale Law School, graduating in 1996 with aJuris Doctor.[4]
Lee began her legal career as a law clerk for JudgeSusan J. Dlott on theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio from 1996 to 1997, and JudgeEric L. Clay on theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit from 1997 to 1998.
From 1998 to 2019, Lee worked with the Office of the Appellate Defender in New York City; from 2003 to 2019 she also served as director of recruitment and outreach at the Office of the Appellate Defender. She joined the office as a staff attorney and was named supervising attorney in 2001. She served as an adjunct assistant professor of clinical law atNew York University School of Law from 2003 to 2019, teaching a criminal appellate defense clinic.[4] On January 26, 2022, it was speculated by some media outlets that Lee would be considered byJoe Biden as a nominee to replaceStephen Breyer on the U.S. Supreme Court. Biden ultimately chose U.S. Court of Appeals judgeKetanji Brown Jackson.[5]
On May 12, 2021, PresidentJoe Biden nominated Lee to serve as aUnited States circuit judge for theSecond Circuit to the seat vacated by JudgeRobert Katzmann, who assumedsenior status on January 21, 2021.[6] On June 9, 2021, a hearing on her nomination was held before theSenate Judiciary Committee.[7] During her confirmation hearing, she distanced herself from the contents of a letter she wrote as anOhio State undergrad in 1991, which talks about Thomas being a "black conservative."[8] On July 15, 2021, her nomination was reported out of committee by an 11–10 vote, with SenatorLindsey Graham passing on the vote.[9] On August 3, 2021, Majority LeaderChuck Schumer filedcloture on her nomination.[10] On August 5, 2021, the Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 50–49 vote.[11] On August 7, 2021, her nomination was confirmed by a 50–47 vote.[12][13][14] Upon confirmation, Lee became the longest-servingpublic defender to ever serve as a judge on a U.S. Court of Appeals. She is the secondAfrican American woman ever to serve on the Second Circuit and was the only judge with experience as a federal defender serving on that circuit court until the confirmation ofSarah A. L. Merriam.[15] She received her commission on August 16, 2021.[16]
In 2021, New York City school administrators and teachers filed suit to halt thevaccine mandate that was implemented due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. Lee was part of a panel that ruled the vaccine mandate did not violate the First Amendment. The case was remanded, as the panel's opinion stated the city's mandate was likely unconstitutional.[17][18]
In 2022, Lee was part of a panel that ruled in Bruce Katz, M.D., P.C. v. Focus Forward. This was aconsumer protection case involving unsolicited advertisement under theTelephone Consumer Protection Act.[19][20][21]
| Legal offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit 2021–present | Incumbent |