Sarah Merriam | |
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| Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit | |
| Assumed office September 23, 2022 | |
| Appointed by | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Susan L. Carney |
| Judge of theUnited States District Court for the District of Connecticut | |
| In office October 8, 2021 – September 28, 2022 | |
| Appointed by | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Janet C. Hall |
| Succeeded by | Sarah F. Russell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1971 (age 54–55) |
| Party | Democratic |
| Education | Georgetown University (BA) Yale University (JD) Duke University (LLM) |
Sarah Ann Leilani Merriam (born 1971)[1] is an American attorney serving as aUnited States circuit judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. She is a formerUnited States magistrate judge of theUnited States District Court for the District of Connecticut and former district judge of the same court.[2]
Merriam was born inHonolulu,Hawaii, and raised inNew Haven, Connecticut, where she attended theHopkins School.[2] She earned aBachelor of Arts fromGeorgetown University in 1993, aJuris Doctor fromYale Law School in 2000, and aMaster of Laws in judicial studies from theDuke University School of Law in 2018.[3][4]
Merriam clerked for JudgeAlvin W. Thompson of theUnited States District Court for the District of Connecticut from 2000 to 2002 and JudgeThomas Meskill of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 2002 to 2003. She began her career as an associate with Cowdery, Ecker & Murphy inHartford, Connecticut. From 2007 to 2015, Merriam served as anassistant public defender for theUnited States District Court for the District of Connecticut.[3][5]
Merriam was political director for a state employee union and helped manage the campaigns of two Democratic U.S. Senators,Chris Murphy andChris Dodd.[6]
In March 2015, Merriam was selected as a magistrate judge of theDistrict of Connecticut.[7] She replaced Judge Holly B. Fitzsimmons, who retired.[8] She was sworn in on April 3, 2015.[7][9] Her service terminated on October 8, 2021, when she was elevated to a district court judge, and was succeeded by Maria Garcia.[10]
On June 15, 2021, PresidentJoe Biden nominated Merriam to serve as aUnited States district judge for theDistrict of Connecticut to the seat vacated by JudgeJanet C. Hall, who assumedsenior status on January 21, 2021.[11] On July 14, 2021, a hearing on her nomination was held before theSenate Judiciary Committee.[12] On August 5, 2021, her nomination was favorably reported by the committee by a 13–9 vote.[13] On October 4, 2021, Majority LeaderChuck Schumer filedcloture on her nomination.[14] On October 6, 2021, theUnited States Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 53–47 vote.[15] Her nomination was confirmed later that day by a 54–46 vote.[16] She received her judicial commission on October 8, 2021.[10] She was sworn in on October 12, 2021.[17] Her service as a district judge was terminated on September 28, 2022, when she was elevated to the court of appeals.[10]
On April 27, 2022, PresidentJoe Biden announced he would nominate Merriam to serve as aUnited States circuit judge for theSecond Circuit.[18][19] On May 19, 2022, her nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Merriam to the seat to be vacated by JudgeSusan L. Carney, who announced her intent to assumesenior status upon confirmation of a successor.[20] On May 25, 2022, a hearing on her nomination was held before theSenate Judiciary Committee.[21] On June 16, 2022, her nomination was favorably reported by the committee by a 12–10 vote.[22] On September 12, 2022, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer filed cloture on her nomination.[23] On September 14, 2022, the United States Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 52–47 vote.[24] On September 15, 2022, her nomination was confirmed by a 53–44 vote.[25] She received her judicial commission on September 23, 2022.[10]
Merriam has been accused of bullying her law clerks as part of an extremely rare formal complaint filed by the non-profit theLegal Accountability Project on behalf of law clerks who feared they could not speak up without damage to themselves.[26] The complaint, filed on December 30, 2025, alleged that Merriam maintained a "workplace climate characterized by fear, oppressive control, intimidation, humiliation, and bullying."[27] A first complaint alleging Merriam treated her staff "overly harsh" was filed in 2022, and it resolved after Merriam "committed to receiving counseling and training on workplace conduct, informing clerks that they could report concerns to the chief judge, and permitting the court's director of workplace relations to check in with her clerks midway into their terms until August 2025 to ensure compliance."[27] The federal judiciary rarely publicizes or addresses complaints of misconduct against judges, and at first tried to keep Merriam's name confidential.[28]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.| Legal offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Judge of theUnited States District Court for the District of Connecticut 2021–2022 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit 2022–present | Incumbent |