Christina Reiss

Christina Reiss
Reiss in 2009
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Vermont
Incumbent
Assumed office July 21, 2024
Preceded by	Geoffrey W. Crawford
In office December 21, 2010 – December 20, 2017
Preceded by	William K. Sessions III
Succeeded by	Geoffrey W. Crawford
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Vermont
Incumbent
Assumed office December 21, 2009
Appointed by	Barack Obama
Preceded by	John Garvan Murtha
Personal details
Born	(1962-09-03) September 3, 1962 (age 62) Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Education	Saint Michael's College (BA) University of Arizona (JD)

Christina Clair Reiss (born September 3, 1962) is the chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Vermont. She is the first female judge to serve in the District of Vermont.^[1]

Early life and education

Born in Denver, Reiss moved to Essex Center, Vermont in 1967, where she attended elementary and secondary schools. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Saint Michael's College in Colchester, Vermont in 1984 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Arizona College of Law in 1989.^[2][3]

Career

From 1989 until 1990, Reiss clerked for the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, and from 1990 until 1992, Reiss practiced with the law firm of Perkins, Thompson, Hinckley & Keddy in Portland, Maine.^[2] From 1992 until 2001, Reiss practiced law with the firm of Sheehey, Brue, Gray & Furlong in Burlington, Vermont.^[2] From 2001 until 2004, Reiss was a partner with the law firm of Gravel and Shea in Burlington.^[2][3]

State judicial service

In August 2004, Reiss was appointed to the state bench as a district judge.^[2][3]

Federal judicial service

In July 2009, United States Senator Patrick Leahy announced that he had recommended that Reiss be nominated by President Barack Obama to the United States District Court for the District of Vermont, to fill the seat vacated by Judge John Garvan Murtha, who assumed senior status.^[4] On October 9, 2009, Obama announced his intent to nominate Reiss to the district court seat.^[5] Her nomination was formally submitted to the United States Senate on October 13, 2009. The United States Senate confirmed Reiss by unanimous consent on November 21, 2009. She received her judicial commission on December 21, 2009.^[3] She served an initial term as chief judge from 2010 to 2017 and began a second on July 21, 2024.^[3][6]

References

1. Making History: President Obama’s Female Judicial Nominees Archived September 28, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, Alliance for Justice (June 11, 2013).
2. https://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&q=cache:ZO2CeUycO1cJ:vermont-elections.org/elections1/2007CGJudicial.pdf+%22Christina+Reiss%22+1986&hl=en&gl=us&sig=AFQjCNEEqVnNxBJAeF7uZbJZ9HIRdq5ZYQ Archived March 8, 2020, at the Wayback Machine ^{[bare URL]}
3. Christina Reiss at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
4. "Leahy Recommends Vermont Judge Christina Reiss for Vermont's U.S. District Court Vacancy". Archived from the original on November 3, 2009. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
5. President Obama Announces His Intent to Nominate Christina Reiss to the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont, whitehouse.gov (October 9, 2009).
6. "Notice of New Chief Judge". Retrieved July 22, 2024.

External links

• Christina Reiss at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
• Christina Reiss at Ballotpedia

Legal offices
Preceded by John Garvan Murtha	Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Vermont 2009–present	Incumbent
Preceded by William K. Sessions III	Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Vermont 2010–2017	Succeeded by Geoffrey W. Crawford
Preceded by Geoffrey W. Crawford	Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Vermont 2024–present	Incumbent