Debra Ann Livingston

Debra Ann Livingston
Name	Debra Ann Livingston
Office	Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
Appointer	Bill Clinton
Term start	1994
Birth date	1959
Birth place	New York City, New York
Alma mater	Harvard College; Yale Law School

Debra Ann Livingston is a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. She has served on the Second Circuit since 1994 after appointment by President Bill Clinton and is noted for decisions on constitutional law, securities law, and criminal procedure. Her career spans clerking, private practice, government service, and academia, including positions at Yale Law School and participation in federal appellate panels in New York City and beyond.

Early life and education

Born in New York City, Livingston attended Harvard College, where she studied under professors associated with the Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Law School networks, before matriculating at Yale Law School. At Yale she worked with scholars linked to the American Law Institute and participated in seminars touching on jurisprudence connected to figures such as Roscoe Pound and Lon Fuller. During her student years she engaged with student organizations that included future judges and clerks associated with the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.

Legal career

After graduation, Livingston clerked for Judge Wilfred Feinberg of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and for Justice William J. Brennan Jr. of the Supreme Court of the United States. She later joined the law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore where she worked on matters involving litigants like American Express and JP Morgan Chase. Her government service included work with the United States Department of Justice and collaboration with attorneys who moved between roles in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. Livingston also served as an associate at firms handling litigation against entities such as Enron and advising clients in cases related to statutes including the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Federal judicial service

Nominated by Bill Clinton in 1994 to a seat vacated by Judge Wilfred Feinberg, Livingston was confirmed by the United States Senate and received her commission to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. On the Second Circuit she sat on panels with judges including John M. Walker Jr., Jose A. Cabranes, Pierre N. Leval, and Sonia Sotomayor prior to Sotomayor's elevation to the Supreme Court of the United States. Livingston participated in en banc considerations and authored opinions cited in decisions from circuits such as the Second Circuit and referenced by the Supreme Court of the United States in matters related to the First Amendment and Fourth Amendment doctrines.

Notable rulings and opinions

Livingston has written opinions addressing issues in cases involving defendants or parties such as Microsoft Corporation, Marsh & McLennan, and individual litigants in high-profile criminal appeals originating from the Southern District of New York. Her opinions have been cited in contexts involving the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, and questions arising under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Panels including Livingston have ruled on appeals involving employment disputes under statutes like the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 and antitrust claims touching on corporations such as AT&T and Verizon Communications. Her decisions have been discussed in relation to precedent from judges like Hand-era traditions and later cited by scholars writing about doctrine in journals tied to Yale Law School, Harvard Law School, and Columbia Law School.

Academic and teaching activities

Livingston has held academic appointments and visiting positions at Yale Law School and has lectured at institutions including Columbia Law School, New York University School of Law, and Fordham University School of Law. She has participated in symposia hosted by the American Bar Association, the Federal Judicial Center, and the American Constitution Society, engaging with scholars who have affiliations to the Brookings Institution, the Cato Institute, and university centers such as the Stanford Program in Law, Science & Technology. Her academic work includes contributions to panels and workshops on appellate practice, judicial decision-making, and doctrine-bearing topics frequently explored at conferences attended by members of the Federalist Society and the Association of American Law Schools.

Awards and honors

Over her career Livingston has received honors from organizations such as the Federal Bar Council, the New York State Bar Association, and Yale-affiliated alumni groups. Her recognition includes awards presented by legal foundations tied to the American Bar Association and citations in lists compiled by entities like Chambers and Partners and Legal 500 for appellate practice. She has been invited to membership in groups such as the American Law Institute and has served on advisory boards associated with the Federal Judicial Center and academic programs at Yale University.

Category:1959 births Category:Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit Category:Yale Law School alumni Category:Harvard College alumni Category:Living people