Patti B. Saris
Encyclopedia
Patti B. Saris is a District Judge for the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
. She joined the court in 1993 after being nominated by President Bill Clinton
. She is also Chair of the United States Sentencing Commission
.
from Radcliffe College
in 1973 and a Juris Doctor
from Harvard Law School
in 1976.
for the Honorable Robert Braucher
, of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
from 1976-77. She was in private practice with the law firm of Foley, Hoag & Eliot in Boston from 1977–79, served as Staff counsel to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
from 1979–81, and then returned to private practice with the firm of Berman, Dittmar & Engel, P.C. during 1981 to 1982.
Saris then served as Assistant U.S. Attorney of the District of Massachusetts from 1982 to 1986. She was Chief of the Civil Division from 1984 to 1986. From 1986-89 she was a U.S. Magistrate Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. She was an Associate Justice in the Trial Court of Massachusetts, Superior Court Department from 1989 to 1993.
Ted Kennedy
and John Kerry
, Saris was nominated as a federal judge in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts by President Bill Clinton
on October 27, 1993, to a seat vacated by Walter Jay Skinner
. She was confirmed by the United States Senate
on November 20, 1993, and received her commission on November 24, 1993.
on February 16, 2011.
United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
The United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, USA. The first court session was held in Boston in 1789. The second term was held in Salem in 1790 and until 1813 court session locations...
. She joined the court in 1993 after being nominated by President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. She is also Chair of the United States Sentencing Commission
United States Sentencing Commission
The United States Sentencing Commission is an independent agency of the judicial branch of the federal government of the United States. It is responsible for articulating the sentencing guidelines for the United States federal courts...
.
Early life and education
Saris was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She received a Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Radcliffe College
Radcliffe College
Radcliffe College was a women's liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was the coordinate college for Harvard University. It was also one of the Seven Sisters colleges. Radcliffe College conferred joint Harvard-Radcliffe diplomas beginning in 1963 and a formal merger agreement with...
in 1973 and a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
in 1976.
Legal career
Saris was a law clerkLaw clerk
A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person who provides assistance to a judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions. Law clerks are not court clerks or courtroom deputies, who are administrative staff for the court. Most law clerks are recent law school graduates who...
for the Honorable Robert Braucher
Robert Braucher
Robert Braucher was an Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court from January 18, 1971, until his death.- Early years :...
, of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The SJC has the distinction of being the oldest continuously functioning appellate court in the Western Hemisphere.-History:...
from 1976-77. She was in private practice with the law firm of Foley, Hoag & Eliot in Boston from 1977–79, served as Staff counsel to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary is a standing committee of the United States Senate, of the United States Congress. The Judiciary Committee, with 18 members, is charged with conducting hearings prior to the Senate votes on confirmation of federal judges nominated by the...
from 1979–81, and then returned to private practice with the firm of Berman, Dittmar & Engel, P.C. during 1981 to 1982.
Saris then served as Assistant U.S. Attorney of the District of Massachusetts from 1982 to 1986. She was Chief of the Civil Division from 1984 to 1986. From 1986-89 she was a U.S. Magistrate Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. She was an Associate Justice in the Trial Court of Massachusetts, Superior Court Department from 1989 to 1993.
Federal Judicial Career
On the recommendation of SenatorsUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Ted Kennedy
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
and John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
, Saris was nominated as a federal judge in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts by President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
on October 27, 1993, to a seat vacated by Walter Jay Skinner
Walter Jay Skinner
Walter Jay Skinner was a United States federal judge.Born in Washington, D.C., Skinner received an A.B. from Harvard University in 1948 and a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1952...
. She was confirmed by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on November 20, 1993, and received her commission on November 24, 1993.
United States Sentencing Commission
In April 2010, President Obama nominated Saris as Commissioner and Chair of the United States Sentencing Commission. She was confirmed by the Senate on December 22, 2010 and sworn in by Justice Elena KaganElena Kagan
Elena Kagan is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving since August 7, 2010. Kagan is the Court's 112th justice and fourth female justice....
on February 16, 2011.