Amalya Lyle Kearse(born June 11, 1937)[1]is asenior United States circuit judgeof theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuitand a world-classbridgeplayer.
Amalya Kearse | |
|---|---|
| Senior Judgeof theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit | |
| Assumed office June 11, 2002 | |
| Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit | |
| In office June 21, 1979 – June 11, 2002 | |
| Appointed by | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | Seat established |
| Succeeded by | Reena Raggi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Amalya Lyle Kearse June 11, 1937 Vauxhall, New Jersey,U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | Wellesley College(BA) University of Michigan(JD) |
Education and legal career
editKearse was born inVauxhall, New Jersey[1]to physician Dr.Myra Lyle Smith KearseofLynchburg,Virginia,and postmaster Robert Freeman Kearse; her maternal grandparents were schoolteachers Clara Roberta Alexander Smith andTheodore Parker Smith.[2]She attendedColumbia High SchoolinMaplewood,New Jersey. Aphilosophymajor and 1959graduateofWellesley Collegewith aBachelor of Artsdegree, she was the only black woman in herlaw schoolclass at theUniversity of Michigan Law School.She was an editor of the law review and graduated with aJuris Doctorcum laudein 1962. She entered private practice inNew York Cityand rose to become a partner in the respectedWall Streetfirm ofHughes Hubbard & Reed.She was an adjunct lecturer atNew York University Law Schoolfrom 1968 to 1969.[3]
Federal judicial service
editKearse was nominated by PresidentJimmy Carteron May 3, 1979, to theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit,to a new seat authorized by 92 Stat. 1629. She was confirmed by theUnited States Senateon June 19, 1979, and received her commission on June 21, 1979. At the time, she was the first woman and only the second black person (afterThurgood Marshall) on the court.[1]She assumedsenior statuson June 11, 2002.[3]
Kearse was the author of the 1984 decisionMcCray v. Abrams,a case in which she developed a test that made it much harder for jurors to be struck because of their race.[4][5]The Supreme Court would develop a test similar to Kearse's inBatson v. Kentucky.
Supreme Court shortlist
editIn 1981, Kearse became the first African-American woman to beshortlistedfor an appointment as anAssociate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States;PresidentRonald Reaganeventually nominated JudgeSandra Day O'Connorof theArizona Court of Appealsfor the position instead.[6]
Consideration for United States attorney general
editIn 1993, Kearse was considered by PresidentBill Clintonfor appointment asUnited States Attorney General;the job eventually went toJanet Reno.[citation needed]
Bridge career
editKearse is also known as a world-classbridgeplayer. In 1986, playing with longtime partnerJacqui Mitchell,she won theWorld Women Pairs Championship,which earned her the title ofWorld Bridge FederationWorld Life Master. She is also a seven-time U.S.nationalchampion of the game.
Honors
edit- ACBL Hall of Fame,Blackwood Award 2004[7][8]
Awards
edit- Charles H. Goren Award (Personality of the Year) 1980
Wins
edit- World Women's Pairs(1) 1986
- North American Bridge Championships(6)
- Women's Board-a-Match Teams(1) 1990
- Women's Knockout Teams(1) 1987
- Women's Swiss Teams(1) 1991
- Life Master Women's Pairs(1) 1972
- Women's Pairs(2) 1971, 2004
- United States Bridge Championships (1)[when?]
- Women's Team Trials (1) 1992
Runners-up
edit- North American Bridge Championships(3)
- Mixed Board-a-Match Teams(1) 1996
- Women's Knockout Teams(1) 1991
- Women's Swiss Teams(1) 2001
- United States Bridge Championships (3)
- Women's Team Trials (3) 1988, 1995, 2004
- Other notable 2nd places:
- IOC Grand Prix Women's Teams (1) 2002
Publications
edit- — (1990).Bridge Convention Complete(Revised and Expanded ed.). Louisville, KY: Devyn Press, Inc. p. 1121.ISBN0-910791-76-7.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^abcGoldstein, Tom. "Amalya Lyle Kearse; Woman in the News",The New York Times,June 25, 1979.
- ^Moses, Sibyl E.African American Women Writers in New Jersey, 1836-2000: A Biographical Dictionary and Bibliographic Guide.Rutgers University Press, 2003. p. 99
- ^abAmalya Lyle Kearseat theBiographical Directory of Federal Judges,a publication of theFederal Judicial Center.
- ^"Michael McCRAY, Petitioner-Appellee, v. Robert ABRAMS, Respondent-Appellant".Open Jurist.F2d(750): 1113. December 4, 1984.RetrievedOctober 23,2021.
- ^"Carter's Quiet Revolution".Slate.July 14, 2019.RetrievedOctober 23,2021.
- ^"41 years before Ketanji Brown Jackson, Amalya Lyle Kearse was considered for the Supreme Court".19thnews.org.March 2, 2022.RetrievedApril 7,2022.
- ^"Induction by Year"Archived2014-12-05 at theWayback Machine.Hall of Fame.ACBL. Retrieved 2014-12-21.
- ^"Kearse, Amalya"Archived2016-03-19 at theWayback Machine.Hall of Fame.ACBL. Retrieved 2014-12-21.
External links
edit- Amalya Lyle Kearseat theBiographical Directory of Federal Judges,a publication of theFederal Judicial Center.
- Brenner, Hannah; Knake, Renee Newman (Summer 2017)."Shortlisted".UCLA Women's Law Journal.24(2): 88.doi:10.5070/L3242037775.SSRN2850599.
- Amalya Kearseat theACBL Hall of Fame(archived)
- "International record for Amalya Kearse".World Bridge Federation.
- "Master Points record for Amalya Kearse".World Bridge Federation.