Nina Pillard | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit | |
| Assumed office December 17, 2013 | |
| Appointed by | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Douglas H. Ginsburg |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Cornelia Thayer Livingston Pillard March 4, 1961 Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Spouse | David D. Cole |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Yale University (BA) Harvard University (JD) |
Cornelia Thayer Livingston Pillard (born March 4, 1961), known professionally as Nina Pillard, is an American lawyer and jurist serving since 2013 as a U.S. circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Before becoming a judge, Pillard was a law professor at Georgetown University.
Pillard served as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Assistant to the United States Solicitor General. At the time of her confirmation to the federal bench, Pillard was among the most prominent U.S. Supreme Court advocates in the United States, having argued nine cases and briefed more than 25 cases before the Court.
Pillard's nomination to the D.C. Circuit, along with the nominations of Robert L. Wilkins and Patricia Millett, ultimately became central to the debate over the use of the filibuster in the United States Senate, leading to the controversial use of the nuclear option to bring it to the floor for a vote. She was confirmed by a 51–44 vote, with her detractors labeling her as one of the most liberal nominees to the federal bench in decades.[1] Pillard has been compared to Ruth Bader Ginsburg for her civil rights advocacy, and has been mentioned as a possible Supreme Court nominee.[2]
- ^ "Nina Pillard nominated to D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals". 25 November 2013.
- ^ "Meet The Next Ruth Bader Ginsburg — Senate Confirms Top Women's Rights Attorney To Federal Bench". 12 December 2013. Retrieved 2020-07-21.