Kim McLane Wardlaw

Kim McLane Wardlaw (born July 2, 1954) is a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, with chambers in Pasadena, California.

Education

Wardlaw earned an Artium Baccalaureus degree in communications, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from UCLA in 1976. She received a Juris Doctor from the UCLA School of Law in 1979.

Career

Wardlaw worked as a law clerk for Judge William P. Gray of the United States District Court for the Central District of California and a legal extern for Judge Joseph Tyree Sneed III of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Wardlaw joined the law firm of O'Melveny & Myers in 1980 as an associate, and worked at the firm for sixteen years, the final ten as a partner in the litigation department.

Federal judicial service

President Clinton nominated Wardlaw to the United States District Court for the Central District of California on August 10, 1995. The Judiciary Committee unanimously approved her nomination, and the Senate confirmed Wardlaw on December 22, 1995, by unanimous consent. She received her judicial commission on December 26, 1995. She served on the district court until her elevation.

Clinton nominated Wardlaw to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on January 27, 1998. The Judiciary Committee approved her nomination 17-1, and the Senate again confirmed her nomination by unanimous consent on July 31, 1998. She received her judicial commission on August 3, 1998.

Political campaigning

Wardlaw volunteered for Bill Clinton's presidential campaign in California during the 1991–1992 election season, and later served on the Clinton-Gore presidential transition team, working with the United States Department of Justice.^[1] She was an elected delegate from the California's 27th congressional district to the 1992 Democratic National Convention. In 1993, Wardlaw served on the Executive Committee on Debate Preparation for Richard Riordan's campaign for Mayor of Los Angeles.^[1] After volunteering for Riordan's successful campaign, she worked as his Government Liaison during the mayoral transition.^[1]

Awards

• "2010 Women of Excellence Award" by YMCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley
• "2010 La Raza Alumna of the Year Award" by UCLA La Raza Law Students Association
• "2009 Ernestine Stalhut Award" by Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles
• "2008 Judicial Award" by Hispanic National Bar Foundation
• “2005 Maynard Toll Award for Distinguished Public Service” by Los Angeles Legal Aid Foundation
• “2004 Alumni of the Year Award for Public and Community Service” by UCLA Law School
• “2001 Professional Achievement Award” by Mexican American Bar Foundation
• "2000 Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by Mount St. Mary's College
• "1995 Buddy Award" by National Organization for Women Legal Defense and Education Fund
• "1995 100 Most Prominent Business Attorneys in Los Angeles County” by Los Angeles Business Journal
• "1993 Top 25 Lawyers Under 45" by California Law Business Journal

Publications

• "Umpires, Empathy, and Activism: Lessons from Judge Cardozo", 85 Notre Dame L. Rev. 1629 (2010)
• "Introduction", 40 Golden Gate U. L. Rev. 293 (2010)
• "Access to State-Owned Communications Media—The Public Forum Doctrine" (Comment), 26 UCLA L. Rev. 1410 (1979)

See also

• Barack Obama Supreme Court candidates

References

External links

• FJC Bio
• Interview with the legal tabloid Underneath Their Robes (2004)
• Appearances on C-SPAN