Lydia Griggsby | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Griggsby in 2017 | |
| Judge of theUnited States District Court for the District of Maryland | |
| Assumed office July 20, 2021 | |
| Appointed by | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Catherine C. Blake |
| Judge of theUnited States Court of Federal Claims | |
| In office December 5, 2014 – July 23, 2021 | |
| Appointed by | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Francis Allegra |
| Succeeded by | Philip Hadji |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Lydia Kay Griggsby (1968-01-16)January 16, 1968 (age 57) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Education | University of Pennsylvania (BA) Georgetown University (JD) |
Lydia Kay Griggsby (born January 16, 1968)[1] is aUnited States district judge of theUnited States District Court for the District of Maryland. She is a former Judge of theUnited States Court of Federal Claims and Chief Counsel for Private and Information Policy for theSenate Judiciary Committee. She is the first woman of color to serve as a judge on theUnited States District Court for the District of Maryland.[2]
Griggsby was born and raised inBaltimore, Maryland, and attended thePark School of Baltimore inBaltimore, Maryland.[3] Her parents were both educators who graduated fromHistorically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).[3] She received aBachelor of Arts degree from theUniversity of Pennsylvania in 1990 and aJuris Doctor from theGeorgetown University Law Center in 1993.[4] She is also a member ofDelta Sigma Theta sorority.[5]
Griggsby began her legal career as an associate with thelaw firm ofDLA Piper LLP, from 1993 to 1995.[4] She served as a trial attorney in the Commercial Litigation Branch of theCivil Division of theUnited States Department of Justice, from 1995 to 1998.[4] She served as an Assistant United States Attorney in theDistrict of Columbia, from 1998 to 2004.[4] She worked as Counsel for theUnited States Senate Select Committee on Ethics, from 2004 to 2005.[4] She served as Privacy Counsel for theUnited States Senate Committee on the Judiciary from 2004 to 2008, and as Chief Counsel for Privacy and Information Policy for senatorPatrick Leahy[6] on the same committee until 2014.[7]
Griggsby served as a trial attorney in the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Civil Division of theUnited States Department of Justice from 1995 to 1998.[4] She then served as anAssistant United States Attorney in theDistrict of Columbia from 1998 to 2004.[4] Notably, she represented the United States in aClean Air Act enforcement action againstToyota for violations involving more than two million vehicles sold between 1996 and 1998, helping to secure a settlement that required the company to spend $20 million on cleaner vehicle projects, strengthen emissions compliance, and pay a $500,000 civil penalty.[8][9]
After her service as a federal prosecutor, Griggsby worked as Counsel for theUnited States Senate Select Committee on Ethics from 2004 to 2005.[4] She then served as Privacy Counsel for theUnited States Senate Committee on the Judiciary from 2004 to 2008, and as Chief Counsel for Privacy and Information Policy forSenator Patrick Leahy on the same committee until 2014.[10][4] In that capacity, she was the lead Senate counsel on several pieces of legislation enacted by Congress to reform theFreedom of Information Act, including theOPEN Government Act of 2007 and theOPEN FOIA Act of 2009, as well as on legislation amending theVideo Privacy Protection Act.[11]
On April 10, 2014, PresidentBarack Obama nominated Griggsby to serve as a Judge of theUnited States Court of Federal Claims, to the seat vacated by JudgeFrancis Allegra, whose term expired October 21, 2013.[12] A hearing on her nomination before theUnited States Senate Judiciary Committee was held on June 4, 2014.[13] On June 12, 2014, her nomination was reported out of committee byvoice vote.[14] On December 3, 2014, Senate Majority LeaderHarry Reid filed for cloture on her nomination.
On December 4, 2014, the Senate invoked cloture on Griggsby's nomination by a 53–36 vote.[15] Later that day, her nomination was confirmed by avoice vote. She received her commission on December 5, 2014.[16] She took the oath of office on December 15, 2014.[17] Her service on the claims court terminated on July 23, 2021, when she was sworn in as anArticle III district court judge.[16]
On March 30, 2021, PresidentJoe Biden announced his intent to nominate Griggsby to serve as aUnited States district judge for theUnited States District Court for the District of Maryland.[18] On April 19, 2021, her nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Griggsby to the seat vacated by JudgeCatherine C. Blake, who assumedsenior status on April 2, 2021.[19] On May 12, 2021, a hearing on her nomination was held before theSenate Judiciary Committee.[20] On June 10, 2021, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 16–6 vote.[21] On June 16, 2021, theUnited States Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 57–41 vote.[22] Her nomination was confirmed later that day by a 59–39 vote.[23] She received her judicial commission on July 20, 2021.[16] She was sworn in on July 23, 2021.[24]
Griggsby has presided over several notable cases. In 2022, Judge Griggsby intervened inNAACP v.Baltimore County when she granted a preliminary injunction blocking theBaltimore County Council’s redistricting plan, finding it likely violated theVoting Rights Act by diluting Black voters’ electoral power.[25][26] She ordered the county to submit a remedial map, and later accepted a revised plan that included one majority-Black district.[25][26][27]
In 2023, she oversaw the criminal trial of former Baltimore City State’s AttorneyMarilyn Mosby (Maryland v. Mosby), who was charged with perjury and making false statements on mortgage applications.[28] A jury found Mosby guilty on both counts of perjury related to withdrawals from her city retirement account, and later on two counts of making false mortgage applications in connection with vacation homes in Florida.[29] Griggsby sentenced Mosby to twelve months of home confinement followed by supervised release.[29]
In 2025, Griggsby presided overGLMA v.NIH,[30] a lawsuit filed by Lambda Legal on behalf of LGBTQ+ health researchers and advocacy groups after theDepartment of Health and Human Services revoked existing National Institutes of Health grants and blocked new applications for review.[31][32] The plaintiffs alleged that the policy unlawfully targeted LGBTQ+-related programs.[31][32] Griggsby granted a preliminary injunction, finding that the administration’s actions constituted unlawful discrimination in violation of theFifth Amendment and Section 1557 of theAffordable Care Act, and ordered that funding be restored while the case proceeded.[31][32]
{{cite web}}:|last2= has generic name (help)| Legal offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Judge of theUnited States Court of Federal Claims 2015–2021 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Judge of theUnited States District Court for the District of Maryland 2021–present | Incumbent |