Stephanie Thacker
Encyclopedia
Stephanie Dawn Thacker, born , is a West Virginia
lawyer and a current federal judicial nominee to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
.
, Thacker earned a bachelor's degree from Marshall University
in 1987 and her law degree from West Virginia University College of Law
in 1990.
In 1994, Thacker took a job in the United States Attorney's office for the Southern District of West Virginia, serving as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal Division and handling a wide range of criminal prosecutions.
In 1999, Thacker moved to Washington, D.C.
to work as a trial attorney in the United States Department of Justice
's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section
. She worked there for seven years, serving as Deputy Chief of Litigation for two years and then as Principal Deputy Chief of Litigation for five years. She also was part of the team that prosecuted the first case the U.S. ever brought involving the Violence Against Women Act
.
In 2006, Thacker joined the Charleston, West Virginia
law firm Guthrie & Thomas as a partner.
reported that President Obama would select Thacker to the judicial vacancy on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
that had been created by the death of Judge M. Blane Michael
. Michael had died in March 2011.
On September 8, 2011, Obama formally nominated Thacker to be a judge on the Fourth Circuit. The Judiciary Committee
reported her nomination to the floor of the Senate on November 3, 2011.
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
lawyer and a current federal judicial nominee to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is a federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:*District of Maryland*Eastern District of North Carolina...
.
Early life and education
Raised in Hamlin, West VirginiaHamlin, West Virginia
Hamlin, originally named "Hamline," is a town in Lincoln County, West Virginia, United States, along the Mud River. The population was recorded as 1,119 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lincoln County.-History:...
, Thacker earned a bachelor's degree from Marshall University
Marshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
in 1987 and her law degree from West Virginia University College of Law
West Virginia University College of Law
The West Virginia University College of Law is the professional school for the study of law at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. The law school was established in 1878 as the first professional school in the state of West Virginia...
in 1990.
Professional career
After graduating law school, Thacker spent two years working in the Pittsburgh office of the law firm Kirkpatrick & Lockhart (now K&L Gates). She then worked briefly for the West Virginia Office of the Attorney General before joining the law firm King, Betts & Allen.In 1994, Thacker took a job in the United States Attorney's office for the Southern District of West Virginia, serving as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal Division and handling a wide range of criminal prosecutions.
In 1999, Thacker moved to 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....
to work as a trial attorney in the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section
Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section
The Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section is a section of the Criminal Division of the United States Department of Justice in charge of protecting the welfare of America's children and communities by enforcing federal criminal statutes relating to the exploitation of children and obscenity...
. She worked there for seven years, serving as Deputy Chief of Litigation for two years and then as Principal Deputy Chief of Litigation for five years. She also was part of the team that prosecuted the first case the U.S. ever brought involving the Violence Against Women Act
Violence Against Women Act
The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 is a United States federal law. It was passed as Title IV, sec. 40001-40703 of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, , and signed as by President Bill Clinton on September 13, 1994...
.
In 2006, Thacker joined the Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...
law firm Guthrie & Thomas as a partner.
Nomination to Fourth Circuit
In July 2011, the West Virginia RecordWest Virginia Record
The West Virginia Record, founded in 2005, is a weekly legal publication funded by the United States Chamber of Commerce and distributed in the state of West Virginia....
reported that President Obama would select Thacker to the judicial vacancy on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is a federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:*District of Maryland*Eastern District of North Carolina...
that had been created by the death of Judge M. Blane Michael
M. Blane Michael
Martin Blane Michael was a Circuit Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He was nominated by President Bill Clinton on August 6, 1993, to a seat vacated by James Marshall Sprouse...
. Michael had died in March 2011.
On September 8, 2011, Obama formally nominated Thacker to be a judge on the Fourth Circuit. The Judiciary Committee
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...
reported her nomination to the floor of the Senate on November 3, 2011.