Washington Lawyer - September/October 2024 - 18

FEATURE
I BECOMING A JUDGE
NSIGHTS FROM THE BENCH
By Jeremy Conrad
T
here's a key
moment in her
journey to the
bench that D.C.
Superior Court Associate
Judge Kendra Davis Briggs
still clearly remembers. She
was interviewing with Judge
Emmet G. Sullivan, thenchair
of the D.C. Judicial Nomination
Commission (JNC).
" One of the first questions he asked me
was, 'What took you so long?' " Judge
Briggs says. " I told him that what made
me finally apply was that I was at a good
point . . . I have criminal and civil experience,
so there's nothing left that I need
to gather, so why not apply now? "
Timing, experience, and passion for the
work are a common thread in judges' decision
to serve on the bench. Briggs first considered applying for
judgeship when she clerked for Justice Peggy A. Quince of the Florida
Supreme Court. " I had known from the moment I walked into her chambers
as a summer law clerk in 2000 that I had an interest in taking the
bench, " Briggs says. " I realized this was possible, and it was really the first
time I knew that because there are not that many Black women judges
in the country. "
" To see a Black woman sitting on the Florida Supreme Court, and to walk
into her chambers as one of her new law clerks, was mind-blowing, "
Briggs adds.
Beginning her career in Florida, Briggs relocated to the District in 2008.
" When I first moved to D.C., I thought that my interest would have to take
the back burner because in Florida, the judges are elected. Here in D.C.,
you're nominated by the president, and I was like, well, how does the
president know who you are? There was no concept of what I needed
to do here in order to get nominated as a judge, " she says.
Briggs worked in private practice at Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P., and in
2010 she began service as assistant U.S. attorney in the United States Attorney's
Office for the District of Columbia prosecuting civil rights, fraud,
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* SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2024
public corruption, violent crime, and narcotics cases. She also served as
the city's Fifth District community prosecutor. In 2020, with nearly two
decades of experience under her belt, Briggs finally took the leap and
applied for a vacancy on D.C. Superior Court. She was confirmed by the
U.S. Senate two years later, on December 15, 2022.
'DON'T SHY AWAY FROM IT'
Judicial applicants for the District of Columbia Courts go through a
unique process, which starts with the JNC soliciting, screening, selecting,
and recommending candidates to the president, who then submits one
nominee to the Senate.
" Everybody's process is unique and different, " Briggs says. " It just depends
on when your name goes up, what's going on in the Senate at
that time, and how they want to move forward. "
The long confirmation process can be stressful for applicants. Once submitted,
an application becomes public information, readily accessible to
employers and colleagues. Briggs says this exposure shouldn't dissuade
potential applicants. " You find that most of your colleagues are so excited
for you, and although it puts everybody in limbo, they're willing to do
[At bar events] you can
have a conversation
with a judge to learn
more about the role.
JUDGE KENDRA
DAVIS BRIGGS
Jati Lindsay
Washington Lawyer - September/October 2024

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