On the recommendation of well-known Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), President Biden announced that he has nominated Sparkle L. Sooknanan, a Trinidadians, to serve as Judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The White House took notice of her outstanding law credentials and nominated her for a judgeship. The nomination was announced on February 21 as part of the president’s 46th round of judicial nominees. Federal judicial appointments are made by the President and affirmed by the Senate after a hearing. A Senate hearing was held to approve the nomination on March 20. A formal swearing in is expected soon.
In a release explaining the recommendation, Congresswoman Norton said,” Sooknanan has been the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the United States Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division since 2023. She previously served as a Deputy Associate Attorney General in the Department of Justice, 2021-23, after first working in the Department as an appellate attorney in the Civil Division. She worked as an appellate attorney in the Civil Division from 2012 to 2013. She served as a law clerk for Justice Sonia Sotomayor on the U.S. Supreme Court, for Judge Guido Calabresi on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and for Judge Eric N. Vitaliano on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York”.
In 2017, as part of SFC’s Thomas J. Volpe Lecture Series, she moderated a talk at the College with Justice Sotomayor. In between her stints at the Justice Department, Sooknanan worked in private practice at Jones Day in Washington, D.C., becoming a partner in 2020. In response to question, as obtained on a website, on her outstanding legal practice in a private law firm, she stated: “As an associate, I was given the opportunity to argue an important appeal. I was the only associate on my feet that day, arguing against partners from three major firms, including two well-known Supreme Court practitioners. We won the case and secured a big and unexpected win for our clients”.
Sooknanan, who came to New York City from her native Trinidad and Tobago at age 16 to further her education, is a first-generation college student. Sooknanan is an educational product of New York. She received her J.D., summa cum laude, from Brooklyn Law School (2010), her M.B.A. with distinction from Hofstra University, and her B.S., summa cum laude, from St. Francis College (2002). she attended part-time at night while holding a full-time job.
Generally, only Senators can make recommendations for federal judgeships. But DC has an exception. Norton’s release stated: “Because D.C. lacks senators to recommend candidates for some positions, Presidents Clinton, Obama, and Biden granted Norton senatorial courtesy to recommend judges for the U.S. District Court for D.C., the U.S. Attorney for D.C., the U.S. Marshal for the D.C. Superior Court, and the U.S. Marshal for the U.S District Court for D.C. Norton has established a nominating commission, comprised of lawyers and non-lawyers from all eight wards in D.C., to screen applicants and to make recommendations to her for the senatorial courtesy positions”.
A White House press release stated that Sooknanan was one of four federal district court nominees, “all of whom are extraordinarily qualified, experienced, and devoted to the rule of law and our Constitution”, adding, “These choices also continue to fulfill the President’s promise to ensure that the nation’s courts reflect the diversity that is one of our greatest assets as a country—both in terms of personal and professional backgrounds.”
All three New York colleges where she studied issued statements of pride saluting the nominee, taking credit for her academic achievements. Brooklyn Law Notes, the journal of the university, reported: Despite the demands of working, taking classes, and participating in student activities, she maintained a perfect 4.0 grade point average, reported in
As reported on line, one of her professors of Law prof Edward Janger, said Sooknanan was an admirable student. He was reported as saying: “Sparkle made the most of her time at Brooklyn Law School. She was not just a top student in the classroom. She also served as executive articles editor of the Brooklyn Law Review, president of the Moot Court Honor Society, member of the highly successful ABA National Moot Court Team, and coach to the Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court team.”
In a report in another publication, on her studies in law, she remarked: “Law school was an incredible, life-changing experience. I knew soon after I started that I had found my place and wanted to spend my career in the legal profession… . The relationships I built and the people who have helped me along the way will stay with me always.”
Congratulations Ms. Sooknanan!
