[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 49 (Thursday, March 16, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S818]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                   Nomination of Jessica G.L. Clarke

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today, the Senate will vote to confirm 
Jessica G.L. Clarke to the U.S. District Court for the Southern 
District of New York.
  Born in Akron, OH, Ms. Clarke received her B.A. from Northwestern 
University in 2001 and earned her J.D. from The Ohio State University 
Moritz College of Law in 2008. She then clerked for Judge Solomon 
Oliver, Jr., on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of 
Ohio from 2008 to 2010.
  Ms. Clarke began her legal career in 2010, as a trial attorney at the 
Justice Department's Civil Rights Division in the Housing and Civil 
Enforcement Section. During her 6 years investigating and litigating 
civil rights violations, Ms. Clarke gained significant litigation 
experience, including successfully trying a ``first-of-its-kind'' 
housing discrimination case and also securing the largest settlement of 
its kind in another housing discrimination matter. In 2016, Ms. Clarke 
went into private practice in New York City for 3 years, focusing on 
commercial litigation and affirmative civil rights work. Since 2019, 
she has served as the chief of the Civil Rights Bureau at the New York 
State Office of the Attorney General, supervising the Bureau's 
attorneys and staff in enforcing Federal, State, and local civil rights 
laws in New York.
  The American Bar Association has unanimously rated Ms. Clarke 
``qualified'' to serve on the Southern District of New York. Senators 
Schumer and Gillibrand strongly support her nomination as well.
  I will be supporting this outstanding nominee, and I urge all of my 
colleagues to do the same.