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 "excerpt": "Jane Branstetter Stranch (born 1953) is an American jurist serving on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, appointed by President Barack Obama in 2010.",
 "snippet": "Jane Branstetter Stranch (born 1953) is an American jurist serving on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, appointed by President Barack Obama in 2010.",
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 "markdown": "# Jane B. Stranch\n\nJane Branstetter Stranch (born 1953) is an American jurist serving as a senior judge of the [United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-court-of-appeals-for-the-sixth-circuit) since 2025.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393306)</sup> She was appointed to the court by President Barack Obama, confirmed in 2010, and assumed senior status on July 14, 2025.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393306)</sup>\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Court | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393306)</sup> |\n| Appointed by | Barack Obama<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393306)</sup> |\n| Confirmed | September 13, 2010 (Senate vote 71 to 21)<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393306)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1110627)</sup> |\n| Senior status | July 14, 2025<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393306)</sup> |\n| Born | 1953, Nashville, Tennessee<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393306)</sup> |\n| Education | B.A., Vanderbilt University, 1975; J.D., Vanderbilt University Law School, 1978<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393306)</sup> |\n\n## Early life and education\n\nStranch was born in 1953 in [Nashville, Tennessee](https://www.edgepedia.org/nashville-tennessee).<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393306)</sup> She received her [Bachelor of Arts](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelor-of-arts) degree from [Vanderbilt University](https://www.edgepedia.org/vanderbilt-university) in 1975 and her Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1978.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393306)</sup>\n\n## Legal career\n\nStranch was in private practice in Nashville, Tennessee, from 1978 to 2010.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393306)</sup>\n\n## Federal judicial service\n\nPresident [Barack Obama](https://www.edgepedia.org/barack-obama) nominated Stranch to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit on August 6, 2009.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393306)</sup> The Senate confirmed her on September 13, 2010, by a vote of 71 to 21.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393306)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1110627)</sup> She received her commission on September 15, 2010.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393306)</sup> She assumed senior status on July 14, 2025.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393306)</sup>\n\n## Notable cases\n\nIn *Rachel Welty v. Bryant Dunaway*, Stranch authored the panel's opinion in a case concerning whether the phrase \"monkey a–\" carried a racial meaning when used against Black employees. She wrote that \"there is no meaningful difference between the terms 'monkey' and 'monkey a–' when used by a supervisor against an African American employee, as alleged here.\"<sup>[3](https://www.womenzmag.com/politics/judge-stranch-warns-chatgpt-verify-accuracy/)</sup> The ruling cleared the way for the plaintiffs to continue their case, reversing a Tennessee district court's earlier dismissal.<sup>[3](https://www.womenzmag.com/politics/judge-stranch-warns-chatgpt-verify-accuracy/)</sup> In a footnote, Stranch noted that her colleague's reliance on ChatGPT in a concurrence was unusual, explaining that while the chatbot can consolidate large amounts of text, \"it does not independently verify the accuracy of any material or its unknown sources.\"<sup>[3](https://www.womenzmag.com/politics/judge-stranch-warns-chatgpt-verify-accuracy/)</sup>\n\nStranch authored the opinion in *Bonfiglioli USA, Inc. v. Midwest Engineered Components, Inc.* and in *Leon Washington v. First Nat'l Bank of Penn.*<sup>[4](https://benchlight.org/judges/jane-branstetter-stranch)</sup> She also authored the opinion in *Michael Washington v. City of Cincinnati* and *United States v. Martin Murff*, and sat on the panels in cases including *United States v. Garry Lebron Hayes*, *Diamond Williams v. Mastronardi Produce-USA, Inc.*, and *Am. Freedom Law Center v. Dana Nessel*.<sup>[4](https://benchlight.org/judges/jane-branstetter-stranch)</sup>\n\n## References\n\n1. [Federal Judicial Center, Biographical Directory of Article III Federal Judges: Jane Branstetter Stranch](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393306)\n2. [Senate Roll Call Vote, September 13, 2010](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1110627)\n3. [Judge Stranch Warns \"ChatGPT Does Not Verify Accuracy\" After Colleague Cites AI in Racial Case](https://www.womenzmag.com/politics/judge-stranch-warns-chatgpt-verify-accuracy/)\n4. [Jane Branstetter Stranch, Sixth Circuit Cases](https://benchlight.org/judges/jane-branstetter-stranch)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Law and justice › Courts and legal practice › Legal biographies › United States judges › US federal judges › Article III judges (district and appellate) › United States courts of appeals judges › Surnames O to S*\n\n*Initially written Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Sep 29, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n",
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 "credit": "\"Jane B. Stranch\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/jane-b-stranch. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.",
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 "speakable": "Jane Branstetter Stranch is an American jurist serving on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, appointed by President Barack Obama in 2010."
}