Jennifer L. Thurston

Jennifer L. Thurston
Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
Incumbent
Assumed office
December 27, 2021
Appointed byJoe Biden
Preceded byLawrence Joseph O'Neill
Chief Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
In office
October 2020 – December 27, 2021
Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
In office
December 31, 2009 – December 27, 2021
Personal details
Born
Jennifer Leigh Calderwood[1]

1967 (age 56–57)
Bakersfield, California, U.S.
EducationCalifornia State University, Bakersfield (BS)
California Pacific University (JD)
Duke University (LLM)

Jennifer Leigh Thurston (born 1967) is an American judge who is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. She previously served as the Chief United States magistrate judge of the same court.

Early life and education

Thurston was born in 1967 in Bakersfield, California.[1] She received her Bachelor of Science from California State University, Bakersfield in 1989 and her Juris Doctor from the California Pacific School of Law in 1997 and her Master of Laws from Duke University in 2018.[2]

Career

From 1997 to 2009, she served as deputy county counsel for the office of county counsel in Bakersfield.[2]

Federal judicial service

Thurston served as a U.S. magistrate judge of the Eastern District of California from December 31, 2009, to December 27, 2021.[3] She was chief U.S. magistrate judge for the district from October 2020 to December 2021.[2]

On September 8, 2021, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Thurston to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. On September 20, 2021, her nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Thurston to the seat vacated by Judge Lawrence Joseph O'Neill, who assumed senior status on February 2, 2020.[4] On October 20, 2021, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[5] On December 2, 2021, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 13–9 vote.[6] On December 17, 2021, the United States Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 46–24 vote.[7] That same day, her nomination was confirmed by a 46–24 vote.[8] She received her judicial commission on December 27, 2021.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b "Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "President Biden Names Seventh Round of Judicial Nominees" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. September 8, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2021. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ "United States Magistrate Judge Jennifer L. Thurston (JLT) - New CAED". www.caed.uscourts.gov. Archived from the original on 2021-09-08. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  4. ^ "Nominations and Withdrawal Sent to the Senate" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. September 20, 2021. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. ^ "Nominations". Washington, D.C.: United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. October 20, 2021.
  6. ^ "Results of Executive Business Meeting – December 2, 2021" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  7. ^ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Jennifer L. Thurston to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of California)". United States Senate. December 17, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  8. ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Jennifer L. Thurston, of California, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of California)". United States Senate. December 17, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  9. ^ Jennifer L. Thurston at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
2021–present 		Incumbent