McGeorge School of 法律 alumna Dena M. 考金斯 ’06 has been confirmed by the U.S. 森ate to serve as a federal judge in the Eastern District of California. 考金斯, who is of both Black and Asian descent, will be the first female Black judge to serve on the Eastern District bench.

考金斯 was nominated for the judgeship in February by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the U.S. 5月22日. 

“We take great pride in witnessing McGeorge School of 法律 alumni making an indelible mark on the legal system and this country,” said Michael Hunter Schwartz, dean of McGeorge School of 法律. "I am delighted to see yet another McGeorge alumnus assuming a position on the federal bench. Judge 考金斯 has every quality you would want in a federal judge.” 

考金斯 will take on her new role in September when Chief U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller assumes senior status.

考金斯 currently serves as the presiding judge of the juvenile court of the Superior Court of California in Sacramento County. She has served as a judge on the court since 2021.

以前, 考金斯 served as an administrative law judge in the General Jurisdiction Division and the Special Education Division for the State of California’s Office of Administrative Hearings, a supervising attorney for the California Victim Compensation Board, and deputy legal affairs secretary for California Gov. 埃德蒙·G. 棕色的小.

考金斯 has also worked in private practice as an associate at Downey Brand LLP and Morrison & 福斯特把LLP). 

柯金斯是美国人.S. 森. Laphonza Butler’s first judicial nominee to be confirmed to the federal bench.

“Judge Dena 考金斯 is exactly the kind of jurist we need in the Eastern District, and I am so glad to see the 森ate vote to confirm her,巴特勒说 in a news release. “A Sacramento native and resident, her first-hand knowledge of the community she will serve will make her an effective jurist in the Eastern District.

“She is a highly qualified nominee with a proven track record as a juvenile court judge and impressive courtroom experience as an attorney, administrative law judge and state court judge. Judge 考金斯 is one of California’s most reputable young jurists.” 

超过400人 McGeorge School of 法律 alumni have served as judges throughout the United States and abroad.

考金斯 will join fellow alumni currently serving on the federal bench, including: 

• Consuelo米. Callahan ’75 of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Sacramento, 
• 莫里森C. 英国小. ’77, ’83 of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California in Sacramento,
• 约翰尼B. Rawlinson ’79 of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Las Vegas,
• Dana Makoto Sabraw ’85 of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California in San Diego, and
• Jennifer L. Thurston ’97 of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California in Fresno.