Laura Swain

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Laura Swain

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Nonpartisan

United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
Tenure

2000 - Present

Years in position

24

Education

Bachelor's

Harvard-Radcliffe College, 1979

Law

Harvard Law, 1982


Laura Taylor Swain is the chief judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. She joined the court in 2000 after being nominated by President Bill Clinton (D). Swain became chief judge of the court in 2021.[1]

Biography

Education

Swain graduated from Harvard-Radcliffe with her bachelor's degree in 1979 and graduated from Harvard Law with her J.D. in 1982.[1]

Professional career

Swain began her career as a law clerk for former federal district judge Constance Motley for the Southern District of New York from 1982 to 1983. She served as a private practice attorney from 1982 to 1996 and also served as a member of the New York State Board of Law Examiners from 1986 to 1996.[1]

Judicial career

Southern District of New York

On the recommendation of U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Swain was nominated by President Bill Clinton on April 25, 2000, to a seat vacated by Judge Thomas Griesa.[2] Swain was confirmed by the Senate on June 16, 2000, on a majority voice vote and received commission on July 11, 2000.[2]

Eastern District of New York

Swain began her career as a federal bankruptcy judge for the Eastern District of New York. She was appointed in 1996 and served in her role until her nomination to an Article III judgeship in 2000.[1]

Noteworthy cases

Seinfeld case (2011)
See also: United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (LAPINE v. Seinfeld, No. 08 Civ. 128 (LTS)(RLE))

Judge Swain tossed out a copyright infringement lawsuit against Jessica Seinfeld on September 10, 2009, after the judge found that a recipe in a cookbook did not infringe on a competing author.[3]

Missy Chase Lapine sued the wife of comedian Jerry Seinfeld claiming a chicken breast recipe infringed on her similar recipe and competed unfairly. The judge found that because the styles of the books differed there was no evidence that Seinfeld's wife committed plagiarism.[3]

The case was appealed to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. The two appeals court judges, Reena Raggi and Peter Hall, ruled against Missy Chase Lapine and affirmed the decision by Judge Swain. The judgment can be read here.[4]

In 2010, Missy Chase Lapine sued Jerry Seinfeld for slander as a result of an interview Mr. Seinfeld participated in on the David Letterman television show. The New York Supreme Court dismissed the claim as being without merit in 2011. The judgment can be read here.[5]

See also

External links


Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Swain Biography from the Federal Judicial Center
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 THOMAS, "Nomination of Laura Swain" (Search for Laura Swain)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 The New York Times, "Judge Rejects Copyright Suit Against Jessica Seinfeld," September 10, 2009
  4. ↑ LAPINE v. Seinfeld, Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit 2010
  5. ↑ Lapine v. Seinfeld, 31 Misc. 3d 736 - NY: Supreme Court 2011

Political offices
Preceded by
- 		United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
2000-Present		 Succeeded by
-


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