Sandra Beckwith
Encyclopedia
Sandra Shank Beckwith is an American judge
, the first woman to sit on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
.
Born in Norfolk, Virginia
, she is the daughter of Charles Langdale and Lorraine (Sterneberg) Shank. She was married to James Beckwith from 1965 to their divorce
in 1978. She married Thomas R. Ammann in 1979.
Beckwith received her B.A.
and her J.D.
in 1968, both from the University of Cincinnati
. She was admitted to the Ohio
bar in 1969, the Indiana
bar in 1976, the Florida
bar in 1979, and the Supreme Court of the United States
bar in 1977. She practiced law in Harrison, Ohio
from 1969 to 1977 and again from 1979 to 1981 with her father. Beckwith was a judge on the Hamilton County
Municipal Court from 1977 to 1979 and again from 1981 to 1986. She was a judge of the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas's domestic relations division from 1987 to 1989 when she was appointed to the Hamilton County Commission. In 1990, she was elected to Commission serving until her resignation in 1992. From 1989 to 1991 she was also an associate with the Cincinnati
law firm of Graydon Head & Ritchey LLP.
President George H. W. Bush
nominated her to a newly created seat on the Southern District on July 26, 1991. She was confirmed by the Senate on February 5, 1992 and received her commission on February 10, 1992. On October 4, 2004, she became chief judge of the court.
She has served on commissions on lawyers' professional responsibility
, prison overcrowding, death penalty appeals, and computerization of the courts. Since 1996, she has been a board member of the Cincinnati chapter of the American Red Cross
.
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
, the first woman to sit on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio is one of two United States district courts in Ohio and includes forty-eight of the state's eighty-eight counties. Appeals from the court are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit at Cincinnati The...
.
Born 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....
, she is the daughter of Charles Langdale and Lorraine (Sterneberg) Shank. She was married to James Beckwith from 1965 to their divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
in 1978. She married Thomas R. Ammann in 1979.
Beckwith received her 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...
and 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...
in 1968, both from the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
. She was admitted to the Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
bar in 1969, the Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
bar in 1976, the Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
bar in 1979, and the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
bar in 1977. She practiced law in Harrison, Ohio
Harrison, Ohio
Harrison is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. The city is located in the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky metropolitan area. The population was 7,487 as of the 2000 census.-History:...
from 1969 to 1977 and again from 1979 to 1981 with her father. Beckwith was a judge on the Hamilton County
Hamilton County, Ohio
As of 2000, there were 845,303 people, 346,790 households, and 212,582 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,075 people per square mile . There were 373,393 housing units at an average density of 917 per square mile...
Municipal Court from 1977 to 1979 and again from 1981 to 1986. She was a judge of the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas's domestic relations division from 1987 to 1989 when she was appointed to the Hamilton County Commission. In 1990, she was elected to Commission serving until her resignation in 1992. From 1989 to 1991 she was also an associate with the Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
law firm of Graydon Head & Ritchey LLP.
President George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
nominated her to a newly created seat on the Southern District on July 26, 1991. She was confirmed by the Senate on February 5, 1992 and received her commission on February 10, 1992. On October 4, 2004, she became chief judge of the court.
She has served on commissions on lawyers' professional responsibility
Professional responsibility
Professional responsibility is the area of legal practice that encompasses the duties of attorneys to act in a professional manner, obey the law, avoid conflicts of interest, and put the interests of clients ahead of their own interests....
, prison overcrowding, death penalty appeals, and computerization of the courts. Since 1996, she has been a board member of the Cincinnati chapter of the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
.