{ "id": "epg7qwq86e", "slug": "susan-l-carney", "title": "Susan L. Carney", "updated": "2026-10-15", "topic_path": [ { "id": "society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society" }, { "id": "society.law", "label": "Law and justice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law" }, { "id": "society.law.practice", "label": "Courts and legal practice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people", "label": "Legal biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us", "label": "United States judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal", "label": "US federal judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3", "label": "Article III judges (district and appellate)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges", "label": "United States courts of appeals judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges.alpha-a-to-c", "label": "Surnames A to C", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges.alpha-a-to-c" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges", "label": "United States · 2021 and later: United States courts of appeals judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021", "label": "United States · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law", "label": "Law and justice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice", "label": "Courts and legal practice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people", "label": "Legal biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us", "label": "United States judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal", "label": "US federal judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges", "label": "United States courts of appeals judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Susan L. Carney, born 1951, is an American jurist serving as a senior judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit since 2022.", "snippet": "Susan L. Carney, born 1951, is an American jurist serving as a senior judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit since 2022.", "node": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges.alpha-a-to-c", "markdown": "# Susan L. Carney\n\nSusan Laura Carney (born 1951) is an American jurist serving as a senior judge of the [United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-court-of-appeals-for-the-second-circuit) since 2022. She was appointed to the court by President Barack Obama, confirmed in 2011, and served as an active circuit judge until assuming senior status on September 27, 2022.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393711)\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n| --- | --- |\n| Court | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393711) |\n| Appointed by | Barack Obama[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393711) |\n| Confirmed | May 17, 2011 (Senate voted 71 to 28)[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393711) • [2](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1120071) |\n| Senior status | September 27, 2022[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393711) |\n| Born | 1951 in Waltham, Massachusetts[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393711) |\n| Education | A.B., Harvard University, 1973; J.D., Harvard Law School, 1977[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393711) |\n\n## Early life and education\n\nCarney was born in 1951 in [Waltham, Massachusetts](https://www.edgepedia.org/waltham-massachusetts).[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393711) A native of the Boston area, she earned her bachelor's degree cum laude in Russian History and [Literature](https://www.edgepedia.org/literature) from Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges in 1973.[3](https://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/judges/bios/slc.html) She attended the University of Chicago Law School from 1974 to 1975 before receiving her law degree magna cum laude from [Harvard Law School](https://www.edgepedia.org/harvard-law-school) in 1977.[3](https://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/judges/bios/slc.html)\n\n## Legal career\n\nCarney began her legal career in 1977 as a law clerk to Judge Levin H. Campbell of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, serving in that role from 1977 to 1978.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393711) • [3](https://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/judges/bios/slc.html) After her clerkship, she joined the Boston firm Ropes & Gray as a litigation associate.[3](https://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/judges/bios/slc.html)\n\nIn 1979, Carney moved to Washington, D.C., where she practiced law privately from 1979 to 1988.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393711) She became an associate and then a partner at Rogovin, Stern & Huge, representing large nonprofit organizations in litigation and transactional work, and in 1986 she moved to a partnership in a branch of the Los Angeles-based firm Tuttle & Taylor.[3](https://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/judges/bios/slc.html) From 1988 to 1993, she worked as an independent legal consultant in Washington, D.C.; her independent practice spanned litigation of copyright and insurance matters and legal projects for [Georgetown University](https://www.edgepedia.org/georgetown-university) and the D.C. Bar Association, for which she served as Reporter of the Task Force on Court Funding.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393711) • [3](https://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/judges/bios/slc.html)\n\nIn 1994, Carney became Of Counsel to the labor law firm Bredhoff & Kaiser in Washington, D.C., practicing there until 1996.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393711) • [3](https://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/judges/bios/slc.html) She then served as associate general counsel of the [Peace Corps](https://www.edgepedia.org/peace-corps) from 1996 to 1998.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393711)\n\nCarney joined the Office of General Counsel at Yale University in 1998, serving as associate general counsel from 1998 to 2001 and as deputy general counsel from 2001 to 2011.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393711) She also served as acting general counsel in 2008.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393711) Her practice at the university included matters involving intellectual property law, research regulation, academic fraud, international transactions, ethics, and business, and litigation related to those areas.[3](https://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/judges/bios/slc.html) During her tenure at Yale, she was a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys, a frequent speaker at its conferences, and a member of its Board of Directors from 2007 through 2010.[3](https://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/judges/bios/slc.html)\n\n## Federal judicial service\n\nPresident [Barack Obama](https://www.edgepedia.org/barack-obama) nominated Carney to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on January 5, 2011, to a seat that had been vacated by Judge Barrington D. Parker, Jr.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393711) • [3](https://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/judges/bios/slc.html) Obama had previously nominated her to the same court on May 20, 2010, but no Senate vote was held on that nomination.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393711) The Senate confirmed her on May 17, 2011, by a vote of 71 to 28, and she received her commission the same day.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393711) • [2](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1120071) She entered on duty as a circuit judge on June 21, 2011.[3](https://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/judges/bios/slc.html)\n\nCarney assumed senior status on September 27, 2022.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393711) Her announcement of the move, confirmed by the clerk of the Second Circuit in November 2021, opened a vacancy on the court.[4](https://www.law.com/newyorklawjournal/2021/11/05/u-s-circuit-judge-susan-l-carney-to-take-senior-status-opening-2nd-circuit-vacancy/)\n\n## Other activities\n\nFrom 2013 to 2019, Carney was an elected member of the [Harvard Board of Overseers](https://www.edgepedia.org/harvard-board-of-overseers), serving as president of the board from June 2018 through May 2019.[3](https://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/judges/bios/slc.html) She has taught at [Yale Law School](https://www.edgepedia.org/yale-law-school) as a visiting lecturer in law in 2013, 2021, and 2022.[3](https://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/judges/bios/slc.html) She is a member of the American Law Institute and the Connecticut Bar Foundation, and a fellow of Silliman College.[3](https://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/judges/bios/slc.html)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Biographical Directory of Article III Federal Judges: Susan Laura Carney](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393711)\n2. [Senate Roll Call Vote, May 17, 2011](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1120071)\n3. [Susan L. Carney, Official Biography, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit](https://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/judges/bios/slc.html)\n4. [U.S. Circuit Judge Susan L. Carney to Take Senior Status, Opening 2nd Circuit Vacancy](https://www.law.com/newyorklawjournal/2021/11/05/u-s-circuit-judge-susan-l-carney-to-take-senior-status-opening-2nd-circuit-vacancy/)\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 A to C*\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", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/susan-l-carney", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/susan-l-carney.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Susan L. Carney\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/susan-l-carney. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Susan L. Carney](https://www.edgepedia.org/susan-l-carney)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/susan-l-carney](https://www.edgepedia.org/susan-l-carney). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Susan L. Carney\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/susan-l-carney. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Susan L. Carney, born 1951, is an American jurist serving as a senior judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit since 2022." }