Paul Oetken | |
|---|---|
 Oetken in 2015 | |
| Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of New York | |
| Assumed office July 20, 2011 | |
| Appointed by | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Denny Chin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James Paul Oetken (1965-10-01)October 1, 1965 (age 60) Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Spouse | |
| Education | University of Iowa (BA) Yale University (JD) |
James Paul Oetken (/ˈɛtkɪn/EHT-kin; born October 1, 1965), known professionally asJ. Paul Oetken, is aUnited States district judge of theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of New York. He is the firstopenlygay man to be confirmed as anArticle III judge.
Oetken was born on October 1, 1965,[1] inLouisville, Kentucky.[2] He was valedictorian and class president atRegis High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He earned aBachelor of Arts degree from theUniversity of Iowa in 1988, and aJuris Doctor fromYale Law School in 1991.[3] Oetken served as alaw clerk for JudgeRichard Cudahy of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit from 1991 to 1992. Then, he clerked for JudgeLouis F. Oberdorfer of theUnited States District Court for the District of Columbia from 1992 to 1993. Lastly, he clerked for Associate JusticeHarry Blackmun of theUnited States Supreme Court from 1993 to 1994.[3][4][5]
During the mid-1990s, Oetken worked as an associate with the law firm ofJenner & Block. In 1997, he joined theOffice of Legal Counsel in the United States Department of Justice as an attorney-advisor, where he worked until becoming an associate counsel to the president of the United States in the office of theWhite House Counsel in 1999.[3] He held that job until PresidentBill Clinton left office in 2001. From 2001 until 2003, Oetken worked as anassociate at the law firm ofDebevoise & Plimpton, including as counsel in 2003 and 2004.[6] In 2004, Oetken joinedCablevision Systems Corporation as its associate general counsel, until 2011 when he left to join the federal bench.[3][5]
On January 26, 2011, PresidentBarack Obama nominated Oetken to serve on theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of New York to replace JudgeDenny Chin, who was elevated to theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.[7] New York SenatorCharles Schumer recommended Oetken to the post.[8] Schumer recommended Oetken a year after he recommended formerAssistant United States Attorney Daniel S. Alter, also openly gay,[9] whom the White House declined to nominate after concluding, because of statements that had been attributed to Alter, that his nomination was unlikely to survive the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome afilibuster in the Senate.[10] Schumer stated that diversity was a consideration in his recommendations for federal judgeships, and that he was "shocked to learn" that no openly gay men had served on the federal bench.[9] The Senate confirmed Oetken on July 18, 2011, by an 80–13 vote.[11] He received his commission on July 20, 2011.[5] At the time of his confirmation, Oetken was the second openly gayArticle III judge in the country, afterDeborah Batts,[12] and the first openlygay male federal judge.[13]
Oetken lives with his husband, Makky Pratayot, inManhattan.[14] They were married on September 6, 2014, atthe Jane by JudgeAlison Nathan.[15]
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of New York 2011–present | Incumbent |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
