Johnnie B. Rawlinson

Johnnie Blakeney Rawlinson (born December 16, 1952)[1] is a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and a former United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada.

Johnnie Blakeney Rawlinson
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Assumed office
July 26, 2000
Appointed byBill Clinton
Preceded byMelvin T. Brunetti
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada
In office
April 7, 1998 – July 26, 2000
Appointed byBill Clinton
Preceded byLloyd D. George
Succeeded byLarry R. Hicks
Personal details
Born (1952-12-16) December 16, 1952
Concord, North Carolina
EducationNorth Carolina A&T State University (BS)
McGeorge School of Law (JD)
Duke University School of Law (MJS)

Early life

Rawlinson was born in Concord, North Carolina. She received a B.S. from North Carolina A&T State University in 1974. She received a J.D. from University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in 1979. She was in private practice of law in Las Vegas, Nevada from 1979 to 1980. In 1980, Rawlinson and Viveca Monet Woods became the first African American females admitted to practice law in Nevada.[2][3] Rawlinson was a staff attorney of Nevada Legal Services, Las Vegas, Nevada in 1980. She was an Office of the District Attorney, Las Vegas, Nevada from 1980 to 1998. She was a deputy district attorney from 1980 to 1989, and a chief deputy district attorney from 1989 to 1995. She was an assistant district attorney from 1995 to 1998.

Rawlinson was a federal judge to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Rawlinson was nominated by President Clinton on February 22, 2000, to a seat vacated by Melvin T. Brunetti. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on July 21, 2000, and received her commission on July 26, 2000.

Education and career

Rawlinson received most of her education in North Carolina, where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree summa cum laude from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in 1974. She graduated with distinction from the McGeorge School of Law at the University of the Pacific, receiving her Juris Doctor in 1979.[1]

She had served as deputy district attorney and chief deputy for over 17 years in the office of the Clark County District Attorney in Las Vegas, Nevada,[4] as well as receiving law practice as a clerk at Kiefer Clark & O'Reilly and other legal services throughout the United States prior to her appointments.[1] She served as a United States district judge after being nominated by President Clinton and confirmed by the United States Senate in 1997. She was the first female judge to serve on the United States District Court for the District of Nevada.

In 2016, Judge Rawlinson received a Master of Judicial Studies degree from Duke University School of Law.[5]

Federal judicial service

District court service

Rawlinson was a federal judge to the United States District Court for the District of Nevada. Rawlinson was nominated by President Bill Clinton on January 27, 1998, to a seat vacated by Lloyd D. George. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on April 2, 1998, and received commission on April 7, 1998. Rawlinson's service was terminated on July 26, 2000, due to appointment to another judicial position.

Court of Appeals service

Rawlinson was nominated by President Bill Clinton on February 22, 2000, to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit after being recommended for the post by United States Senator Harry Reid. Rawlinson was confirmed by the United States Senate by a voice vote on July 21, 2000, making her the final appeals-court nominee to be confirmed during Clinton's presidency. Rawlinson subsequently took the oath of office on July 26, 2000, becoming the first African American woman to sit on the Ninth Circuit.

Personal life

Rawlinson resides in Las Vegas.[4] Her husband of 40 years, Dwight Rawlinson, had cancer and died in August 2016.[6]

See also

References
  1. "Profile of Judge Johnnie B. Rawlinson". Appellate Counsellor. Calvin House. July 22, 2000. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved December 13, 2007.
  2. Anderson, Rachel J. (2013). "Blacks in the Nevada Legal Profession". University of Nevada, Las Vegas -- William S. Boyd School of Law.
  3. Anderson, Rachel J. (February 2012). "Timeline of African-American Legal History in Nevada (1861-2011)".
  4. "Johnnie B. Rawlinson biography". Press Release. Pepperdine University. May 2007. Retrieved January 19, 2008.
  5. "Duke Law Graduation 2016 | Judge Johnnie B. Rawlinson". Duke University School of Law. May 14, 2016. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  6. "Dwight Rawlinson Obituary". Las Vegas Review Journal. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
Legal offices
Preceded by
Lloyd D. George		 Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada
1998–2000		 Succeeded by
Larry R. Hicks
Preceded by
Melvin T. Brunetti		 Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
2000–present		 Incumbent
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