Jia M. Cobb

Jia Michelle Cobb (born 1980)[1] is an American attorney serving as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. She previously worked as a legal partner at Relman Colfax from 2012 to 2021.

Jia Cobb
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
Assumed office
November 12, 2021
Appointed byJoe Biden
Preceded byEmmet G. Sullivan
Personal details
Born1980 (age 42–43)
Springfield, Ohio, U.S.
EducationNorthwestern University (BA)
Harvard University (JD)

Early life and education

Cobb was born in Springfield, Ohio. After graduating from Mercy High School in Farmington Hills, Michigan,[2] she earned her Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University in 2002 and her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 2005.[3]

Career

Cobb began her career as a law clerk for Judge Diane Wood of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit from 2005 to 2006. Cobb was then a trial attorney for the District of Columbia Public Defender Service from 2006 to 2012. Cobb supervised incoming attorneys and was a member of the Forensic Practice Group.[4] Cobb also taught law at the Washington College of Law and Harvard Law School. She worked as a legal partner at Relman Colfax, a national plaintiff-side civil rights law firm from 2012 to 2021.[5] Cobb previously served as an elected member of the District of Columbia Bar's Criminal Law and Individual Rights Section Steering Committee.[4]

Notable cases

In 2008, Cobb represented Christopher Timmons. Timmons was charged with bringing a grenade and other weapons near the United States Capitol complex. Timmons claimed that he wanted to assist the police in their functions during his defense.[6][7]

In 2016, Cobb represented Briggitta Hardin, who was hired to work at the Redline sports bar in Washington, D.C. Chinatown in December 2010 but was fired just before its grand opening. Hardin sued Redline and owner Mick Dadlani, claiming her dismissal was because of the color of her skin.[8]

In 2021, Cobb led the filing of lawsuits against the County of Stafford, the City of Fredericksburg, the District of Columbia, and other governmental organizations. The suit claimed they allegedly infringed upon the First and Fourteenth Amendment rights of Black Lives Matter protesters.[9][10]

Federal judicial service

On June 15, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Cobb to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. She has been nominated to the seat vacated by Judge Emmet G. Sullivan, who assumed senior status on April 3, 2021.[11] Cobb was previously recommended for the position by House Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton.[12] On July 14, 2021, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[13] On August 5, 2021, her nomination was reported out of committee a 13–9 vote.[14] On October 26, 2021, the United States Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 51–46 vote.[15] Her nomination was confirmed later that day by a 52–45 vote.[16] She received her judicial commission on November 12, 2021.[17]

See also

References
  1. "United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees: Gia Michelle Cobb" (PDF).
  2. "Judge Jia M. Cobb '98 United States District Court for the District of Columbia | Mercy High School". www.mhsmi.org. Retrieved 2022-09-23.
  3. "President Biden Announces 4th Slate of Judicial Nominations". The White House. 2021-06-15. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
  4. "District Judge Jia M. Cobb | District of Columbia | United States District Court".
  5. Hulse, Carl (2021-06-15). "A leading voting rights expert is among Biden's new round of judicial nominees". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
  6. "Capitol cops arrest man with explosive device". NBC News.
  7. "Capitol police find weapons in car". Reuters. 5 September 2008.
  8. "Redline Sports Bar Discriminated Against Former Bartender, Jury Says". 26 January 2016.
  9. "City and Stafford report settlement with protesters. Here are both statements". 8 December 2021.
  10. "Protesters reach settlement with Fredericksburg and Stafford".
  11. "Nominations Sent to the Senate". The White House. June 15, 2021.
  12. "Norton Recommends Jia Cobb for U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia". Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton. 2021-03-25. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
  13. "Nominations | United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary". www.judiciary.senate.gov.
  14. "Results of Executive Business Meeting – August 5, 2021" (PDF). Washington, D.C. August 5, 2021.
  15. "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Jia M. Cobb to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia)". United States Senate. October 26, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  16. "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Jia M. Cobb, of Virginia, to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia)". United States Senate. October 26, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  17. Jia M. Cobb at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
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