Rebecca Beach Smith
Encyclopedia
Rebecca Beach Smith is a United States federal judge
.
, Virginia
. She received a B.A.
from The College of William & Mary in 1971, and then received a M.A.
from the University of Virginia
in 1973. Smith received her J.D.
from The College of William & Mary Law School in 1979.
, and La Jolla, California
from 1973–74. She was also a research associate for the National Academy of Science, Institute of Medicine
in Washington, D.C. from 1974 to 1977. At a private practice in Norfolk, Virginia
in 1978, Smith was a law clerk
for Honorable J. Calvitt Clarke, Jr. of the U.S. District Court (Eastern District of Virginia, 1979–1980). She was again in private practice of law in Norfolk from 1980 to 1985.
Smith became a federal judge to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
and was nominated by President George H.W. Bush on August 4, 1989, to a seat vacated by D. Dortch Warriner. She was confirmed by the United States Senate
on October 24, 1989, and received her commission on October 25, 1989.
Premier Exhibitions Inc., the parent company of RMS Titanic Inc., has asked U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith to award it sole title to the artifacts with covenants to preserve them forever.
Smith could agree to that or award the company the estimated value of the pieces: $110 million. She will be making a ruling within weeks.
United States federal judge
In the United States, the title of federal judge usually means a judge appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate in accordance with Article II of the United States Constitution....
.
Early life
Smith was born in HopewellHopewell, Virginia
Hopewell is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 22,591 at the 2010 Census . It is in Tri-Cities area of the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. She received a B.A.
Bachelor 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 The College of William & Mary in 1971, and then received a M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
from the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
in 1973. Smith received her J.D.
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 The College of William & Mary Law School in 1979.
Background
She was a planning analyst for Enviro-Med, Inc. in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and La Jolla, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
from 1973–74. She was also a research associate for the National Academy of Science, Institute of Medicine
Institute of Medicine
The Institute of Medicine is a not-for-profit, non-governmental American organization founded in 1970, under the congressional charter of the National Academy of Sciences...
in Washington, D.C. from 1974 to 1977. At a private practice in Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
in 1978, Smith was a law clerk
Law 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 Honorable J. Calvitt Clarke, Jr. of the U.S. District Court (Eastern District of Virginia, 1979–1980). She was again in private practice of law in Norfolk from 1980 to 1985.
Smith became a federal judge to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia is one of two United States district courts serving the Commonwealth of Virginia...
and was nominated by President George H.W. Bush on August 4, 1989, to a seat vacated by D. Dortch Warriner. 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 October 24, 1989, and received her commission on October 25, 1989.
Titanic
Federal Judge Smith said she would decide sometime after Jan. 4, 2010 the fate of thousands of artifacts from the Titanic shipwreck.Premier Exhibitions Inc., the parent company of RMS Titanic Inc., has asked U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith to award it sole title to the artifacts with covenants to preserve them forever.
Smith could agree to that or award the company the estimated value of the pieces: $110 million. She will be making a ruling within weeks.