Micah William Janso Smith (born 1981)[1] is an American lawyer from Hawaii who has served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii since 2024. He served as an assistant United States attorney for the District of Hawaii from 2018 to 2024.
Education
Smith is a graduate of Kauai High School[2][3] and received a Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania in 2003 and a Juris Doctor magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 2006.[4]
Career
From 2006 to 2007, Smith served as a law clerk to Judge Guido Calabresi of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and for Justice David Souter of the Supreme Court of the United States from 2007 to 2008. From 2008 to 2012, he was an associate and counsel at O'Melveny & Myers in Washington, D.C. From 2012 to 2018, he served as an assistant United States attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. From 2018 to 2024, he served as an assistant United States attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Hawaii, where he serves as Chief of the Criminal Division and Criminal Civil Rights Coordinator. From 2022 to 2024, he served as Chief of Appeals and Legal Strategy within the office.[4]
Federal judicial service
On August 30, 2023, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Smith to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii.[4][5] On September 11, 2023, his nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Smith to the seat to be vacated by Judge John Michael Seabright, who subsequently assumed senior status on January 30, 2024.[6] His nomination was supported by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.[7] On October 4, 2023, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[8] On October 26, 2023, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 14–7 vote.[9] On November 29, 2023, the United States Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 57–42 vote.[10][3] His nomination was confirmed later that day by a 57–41 vote.[11] He received his judicial commission on January 31, 2024[12] and was sworn in the same day.
See also
- List of African American federal judges
- List of African American jurists
- List of Asian American jurists
- List of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States (Seat 3)
References
- ^ "Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
- ^ "Hirono, Schatz Announce Nomination of Micah Smith to U.S. District Court for Hawaii | Mazie K. Hirono - A Voice for Hawai'i in the U.S. Senate". www.hirono.senate.gov. 2023-08-30. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
- ^ a b "Smith, Park confirmed to U.S. District Court for Hawaii". spectrumlocalnews.com. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
- ^ a b c "President Biden Names Thirty-Seventh Round of Judicial Nominees and Announces One New Nominee to Serve as U.S. Marshal" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. August 30, 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Epler, Patti (August 30, 2023). "Biden Picks New Federal Judge For Hawaii". Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
- ^ "Nominations Sent to the Senate" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. September 11, 2023.
- ^ "NAPABA Applauds the Nomination of Micah W. J. Smith and Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona - National Asian Pacific American Bar Association". www.napaba.org. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
- ^ "Nominations". Washington, D.C.: United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. October 3, 2023.
- ^ "Results of Executive Business Meeting – October 26, 2023" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
- ^ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Micah W.J. Smith to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Hawaii)". United States Senate. November 29, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
- ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Micah W.J. Smith, of Hawaii, to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Hawaii)". United States Senate. November 28, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ^ Micah W. J. Smith at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
External links
- Micah W. J. Smith at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.