J. Michelle Childs

Julianna Michelle Childs (born March 24, 1966), known professionally as J. Michelle Childs, is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, serving in that role since 2010. She previously served as a circuit court judge based in Columbia, South Carolina. She is considered an expert in labor and employment law, having participated in the compilation of the Restatement of the Law Third: Employment Law, a well-respected legal treatise that was published in 2015.

J. Michelle Childs
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina
Assumed office
August 20, 2010
Appointed byBarack Obama
Preceded byG. Ross Anderson
Personal details
Born
Julianna Michelle Childs

(1966-03-24) March 24, 1966
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Spouse(s)Floyd Angus
EducationUniversity of South Florida (B.A.)
University of South Carolina (M.A., J.D.)
Duke University (L.L.M.)

Early life, education, and career

Born in Detroit, Childs earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1988 from the University of South Florida and a juris doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1991.[1] Also in 1991, Childs earned a Master of Arts degree in personnel and employment relations from the University of South Carolina business school now known as the Moore School of Business.[1][2]

From 1991 until 2000, Childs worked for the law firm Nexsen Pruet, LLC, of Columbia, South Carolina, first as a summer associate (1991) and then as an associate attorney (1992–1999). She became the firm's first African American partner in 2000.[3] During her time at Nexsen Pruet, Childs gained a reputation for being an expert in employment and labor law.[3] From 2000 until 2002, Childs served as the deputy director of the division of labor with the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation during the administration of Governor Jim Hodges.[4] From 2002 until 2006, Childs served as a commissioner on the South Carolina Workers' Compensation Commission.[3]

In 2006, she was elected by the South Carolina General Assembly to become a circuit court judge based in Columbia.[2] During her time as a state judge, she helmed a special business court pilot program.[3]

Federal judicial service

On December 22, 2009, President Obama nominated Childs to serve on the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, to fill the seat vacated by Judge G. Ross Anderson, who had taken senior status.[1] Her nomination was confirmed by the United States Senate on August 5, 2010.[5] She received her commission on August 20, 2010.[2] She was both the third woman and the third African American to become a federal judge in South Carolina.[4]

Childs was elected to the American Law Institute in 2010 and served as an adviser on the Restatement Third, Employment Law,[6] a decade-long project that was published as an official text in early 2015. She also served on an ALI Regional Advisory Group, helping to identify and recommend new members in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. In 2020, Childs was elected chair of the judicial division of the American Bar Association.[7]

In September 2020, Childs granted a preliminary injunction that blocked South Carolina's absentee ballot witness requirement. A United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit panel initially blocked the injunction granted by Childs, but the full appeals court reinstated it during an en banc session. Ultimately, the injunction was struck down by the Supreme Court of the United States.[8]

In February 2021, Childs was promoted as a potential Supreme Court nominee under the Biden administration by Jim Clyburn, an influential Congressman from her home state of South Carolina.[9]

See also

References
  1. President Obama Nominates Judge J. Michelle Childs, Richard Mark Gergel to District Court Bench for the District of South Carolina Archived 2017-02-16 at the Wayback Machine, whitehouse.gov (December 22, 2009).
  2. "Childs, Julianna Michelle – Federal Judicial Center". www.fjc.gov.
  3. Broady, Gavin (2014-08-09). "The Ardent Ambassador: Judge J. Michelle Childs - Law360". www.law360.com. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
  4. Riddle, Lyn (2010-10-14). "Marriage case judge Childs known as hard worker". The Greenville News. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
  5. "PN1320 — J. Michelle Childs — The Judiciary". Congress.gov. Washington, DC: U.S. Senate. August 5, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  6. "Restatement Third, Employment Law – List of Project Participants". Archived from the original on 2014-12-05. Retrieved 2014-08-20.
  7. "Judge J. Michelle Childs named chair of ABA Judicial Division". Carolina Panorama Newspaper. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
  8. Liptak, Adam (2020-10-06). "Supreme Court Revives Witness Requirement for South Carolina Absentee Ballots". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
  9. Martin, Jonathan (2021-02-21). "How Democrats Are Already Maneuvering to Shape Biden's First Supreme Court Pick". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
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