Ojetta Rogeriee Thompson

Ojetta Thompson
Judge of the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
Incumbent
Assumed office March 30, 2010
Nominated by	Barack Obama
Preceded by	Bruce Selya
Justice of the Rhode Island Superior Court
In office 1997–2010
Appointed by	Lincoln Almond
Judge of the Rhode Island District Court
In office 1988–1997
Appointed by	Edward D. DiPrete
Personal details
Born	August 8, 1951 (1951-08-08) (age 60) Anderson, South Carolina, U.S.
Alma mater	Brown University Boston University

Ojetta Rogeriee Thompson (born August 8, 1951) is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and a former Rhode Island Superior Court justice.

Early life and education

Thompson was born in segregated Anderson, South Carolina, and grew up in Greenville, South Carolina. She attended Scarsdale High School in Scarsdale, NY under the auspices of the Student Transfer and Exchange Program (STEP), graduating in 1969. She came to Rhode Island to attend Pembroke College, which was the coordinate women's college for Brown University. Thompson earned a bachelor's degree from Brown University in 1973 and a Juris Doctor degree from the Boston University School of Law in 1976.^[1]

Professional career

Thompson began her career working as a cashier at the Providence Civic Center in 1973. In 1975 she worked as a law clerk for the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau. In 1974 Thompson started out as a legal intern for Rhode Island Legal Services and then returned in 1976 as the Senior Staff Attorney and Family Law Manager until 1979. From 1979 - 1980 she was an Associate for the law form of McKinnon and Fortunato. In 1980, Thompson became the Assistant City Solicitor for Providence, Rhode Island and held this position until 1982.^[2] Also in 1980, Thompson was a solo practitioner until 1984 when she opened a law firm in South Providence while raising a family with her husband, Rhode Island District Court judge William Clifton.^[1] In 1988, Thompson was appointed to the Rhode Island District Court by Governor Edward D. DiPrete.^[1] In 1997, she was elevated to the Rhode Island Superior Court by Governor Lincoln Almond.^[1]

Federal judicial career

On April 13, 2009, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse announced that they were recommending that President Obama nominate Thompson to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, to fill the seat left vacant by First Circuit Judge Bruce M. Selya's transition to senior status at the end of 2006.^[3]

On October 6, 2009, Obama formally nominated Thompson to the seat on the First Circuit.^[4] She was confirmed by the Senate in a 98-0 vote on March 17, 2010.^[5]

Personal

Thompson lives in Cranston, Rhode Island.^[6]

She has three children, Reza C. Clifton, William Clifton, and Sarah Clifton.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Katie Mulvaney and John E. Mulligan, Thompson, McConnell selected for federal judgeships, The Providence Journal (April 14, 2009).
2. ^ "United States Senate Committee for the Judiciary Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees - (Public)". United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. http://judiciary.senate.gov/nominations/111thCongressJudicialNominations/upload/OjettaRogerieeThompson-PublicQuestionnaire.pdf. Retrieved September 2, 2010. 
3. ^ http://reed.senate.gov/newsroom/details.cfm?id=311450
4. ^ President Obama Nominates Judge Denny Chin for United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson for United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, whitehouse.gov (October 6, 2009).
5. ^ http://senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/a_three_sections_with_teasers/votes.htm
6. ^ http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=OBITUARIES&pagename=obittext&searchdate=2001-12-03

External links

• "United States Senate Committee for the Judiciary Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees - (Public)". United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. http://judiciary.senate.gov/nominations/111thCongressJudicialNominations/upload/OjettaRogerieeThompson-PublicQuestionnaire.pdf. Retrieved September 2, 2010. </ref>
• Ojetta Rogeriee Thompson at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.

Legal offices
Preceded by Bruce Selya	Judge of the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit 2010–present	Incumbent

Persondata
Name	Thompson, Ojetta
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	August 8, 1951
Place of birth	Anderson, South Carolina
Date of death
Place of death