Susan K. DeClercq

Susan K. DeClercq
Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
Incumbent
Assumed office
November 9, 2023
Appointed byJoe Biden
Preceded byStephanie D. Davis
Personal details
Born
Sun Jin Kim

1974 (age 49–50)
Seoul, South Korea
EducationUniversity of Michigan (BA)
Wayne State University (JD)

Susan Kim DeClercq (born 1974)[1] is an American lawyer from Michigan who is serving as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Early life and education

DeClercq's biological mother left her on the steps of a hospital in Seoul, South Korea, and she was adopted and raised by a single mother in the United States.[2] DeClercq received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan in 1995 and a Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Wayne State University Law School in 1999.[3]

Career

From 1999 to 2001, DeClercq served as a law clerk for Judge Avern Cohn of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. From 2001 to 2004, she was a litigation associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in Washington, D.C. From 2004 to 2022, she was an assistant United States attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. She served as Chief of the Civil Division and Chief of the Civil Rights Unit in her role, enforcing laws prohibiting discrimination.[3][4] From 2022 to 2023, she was a director and counsel of special investigations at Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan.[3][5]

Federal judicial service

On May 3, 2023, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate DeClercq to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.[3] On May 4, 2023, her nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated DeClercq to the seat vacated by Judge Stephanie D. Davis, who was elevated to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit on June 14, 2022.[6] On June 7, 2023, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[7][8] On July 13, 2023, her nomination was reported out of the committee by a 12–9 vote.[9] On October 4, 2023, the United States Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 54–44 vote.[10] Later that day, her nomination was confirmed by a 52–42 vote.[11] She received her judicial commission on November 9, 2023.[12] She was sworn in on November 13, 2023.[13] DeClercq is the first federal judge of East Asian descent in Michigan.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  2. ^ "Korean American judicial nominee shares her adoption and immigration journey". nbcnews.com. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d "President Biden Names Thirty-Third Round of Judicial Nominees" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. May 3, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2023. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. ^ a b Burke, Melissa Nann (May 3, 2023). "Biden nominates Ford attorney to federal bench in Detroit". The Detroit News. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  5. ^ "Susan K. DeClercq". www.icle.org. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  6. ^ "Nominations Sent to the Senate" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. May 4, 2023.
  7. ^ "Nominations". Washington, D.C.: United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. June 6, 2023.
  8. ^ Burke, Melissa Nann. "Michigan judicial nominee moves Senate panel with immigrant story". detroitnews.com. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  9. ^ "Results of Executive Business Meeting – July 13, 2023" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  10. ^ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Susan Kim DeClercq to be United States District Judge for the District of Michigan". United States Senate. October 4, 2023. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  11. ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Susan Kim DeClercq, of Michigan, to be United States District Judge for the District of Michigan". United States Senate. October 4, 2023. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  12. ^ Susan K. DeClercq at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  13. ^ "Ford Motor Company Executive Susan D. DeClercq Sworn In As U.S. District Judge" (PDF). mied.uscourts.gov (Press release). November 13, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
2023–present 		Incumbent
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