José A. Cabranes

José A. Cabranes
Name	José A. Cabranes
Office	Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
Appointed	Bill Clinton
Term start	August 9, 1994
Office1	Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut
Appointed1	Jimmy Carter
Term start1	December 22, 1979
Term end1	August 9, 1994
Predecessor1	M. Joseph Blumenfeld
Successor1	Alvin W. Thompson
Birth date	22 December 1940
Birth place	Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
Education	Columbia University (BA), Yale University (JD)

José A. Cabranes. A distinguished American jurist who has served as a United States circuit judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit since 1994. He was the first Puerto Rican appointed to a federal Article III judgeship on the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut in 1979, and later the first to serve on a federal appellate court. His judicial career is noted for significant rulings on issues of international law, administrative law, and civil procedure.

Early life and education

José A. Cabranes was born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, and moved to New York City as a child. He attended public schools in The Bronx before earning a Bachelor of Arts degree, *magna cum laude*, from Columbia University in 1961. He then attended Yale Law School, where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal and earned his Juris Doctor degree in 1965. His early academic work was influenced by prominent legal scholars and set the foundation for his expertise in international relations and American law.

Legal and academic career

Following law school, Cabranes served as a law clerk to Judge J. Joseph Smith of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He then entered government service, working in the General Counsel's Office of the United States Department of Defense and later as an attorney in the Office of the General Counsel of the United States Information Agency. In 1970, he joined the faculty of Rutgers Law School and subsequently taught at the University of Connecticut School of Law. He also served as General Counsel of the University of Connecticut and held a faculty appointment at Yale University, where he was a lecturer and fellow at Trumbull College.

Federal judicial service

In 1979, President Jimmy Carter nominated Cabranes to the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, making him the first person of Puerto Rican heritage to become an Article III judge. He served on that court for nearly fifteen years, presiding over a wide range of civil and criminal cases. In 1994, President Bill Clinton elevated him to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, a court with jurisdiction over New York, Connecticut, and Vermont. His nomination was confirmed by the United States Senate by voice vote.

Notable opinions and jurisprudence

Judge Cabranes has authored numerous influential opinions. In *United States v. Quattrone*, he wrote for the panel upholding the obstruction of justice conviction of a former Credit Suisse banker. His concurrence in *Mora v. New York* addressed the jurisdictional complexities of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996. He is also known for his scholarly attention to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, as seen in his opinion in *Figueiredo Ferraz e Engenharia de Projeto Ltda. v. Republic of Peru*. Furthermore, he dissented in part in the high-profile case of *Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission* at the appellate level, expressing concerns about corporate electioneering.

Awards and honors

Cabranes has received several accolades for his public service and contributions to the legal profession. He has been awarded honorary degrees from institutions including Quinnipiac University and the University of Puerto Rico. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Law Institute. In 2001, he received the Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award. His scholarship, particularly his book *Citizenship and the American Empire*, has been recognized for its examination of the legal status of Puerto Rico.

Personal life

Judge Cabranes is married to Kate Stith, a professor at Yale Law School and former United States Attorney. They have two children. He maintains a commitment to legal education and is actively involved with his alma maters, Columbia University and Yale University. An avid reader with interests in history and political science, he has also served on the boards of several cultural and educational institutions, including the Connecticut Public Broadcasting network.

Category:United States circuit judges Category:American judges of Puerto Rican descent Category:Yale Law School alumni