Dena M. Coggins

American judge (born 1979)

Dena Michaela Coggins


Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
Incumbent
Assumed office September 18, 2024
Appointed by	Joe Biden
Preceded by	Kimberly J. Mueller
Judge of the Sacramento County Superior Court
In office 2021 – September 18, 2024
Appointed by	Gavin Newsom
Preceded by	David W. Abbott
Succeeded by	vacant

Personal details
Born	Dena Michaela Hackett^[1] 1979 (age 44–45) Sacramento, California, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	California State University, Sacramento (BS) University of the Pacific (JD)

Dena Michaela Coggins (born 1979)^[1] is an American lawyer who has served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California since 2024. She previously served as a judge of the Sacramento County Superior Court from 2021 to 2024.

Education

Coggins received a Bachelor of Science from California State University, Sacramento in 2003 and a Juris Doctor from the McGeorge School of Law in 2006.^[2]

Career

From 2007 to 2012, she was an associate at Morrison & Foerster and also an associate at Downey Brand L.L.P. from 2012 to 2013. From 2013 to 2015 she served as a deputy legal affairs secretary for the Governor of California. Coggins was previously an administrative law judge with California's Office of Administrative Hearings, in the special education division from 2015 to 2017 and the general jurisdiction division from 2018 to 2021. From 2021 to 2024, she served as a judge of the Sacramento County Superior Court and as presiding judge of the Juvenile Court from 2023 to 2024.^[2]

Federal judicial service

On February 7, 2024, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Coggins to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California.^[3] On February 8, 2024, his nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Coggins to the seat being vacated by Judge Kimberly J. Mueller, who subsequently assumed senior status on September 17, 2024.^[4] On March 6, 2024, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.^[5] During her confirmation hearing, she was questioned by Senator John Kennedy about her work as a deputy legal affairs secretary to former Governor Jerry Brown.^[6] On April 11, 2024, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–9 vote.^[7] On May 22, 2024, the United States Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 50–44 vote.^[8] Later that day, her nomination was confirmed by a 50–44 vote.^[9] She received her judicial commission on September 18, 2024.^[10] She is the first Black woman to ever serve on the Eastern District of California.^[11]

References

^ ^a ^b "Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
^ ^a ^b "President Biden Names Forty-Fifth Round of Judicial Nominees and One New Nominee to Serve as U.S. Marshal" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2024. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ "Biden Picks Nominees for District Court Seats in California, New York and South Dakota". National Law Journal. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
^ "Nominations Sent to the Senate" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. February 8, 2024.
^ "Nominations". Washington, D.C.: United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. March 6, 2024.
^ Weiss, Benjamin S. "Biden judicial noms get only light prodding from Judiciary Committee Republicans". Courthouse News. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
^ "Results of Executive Business Meeting – April 11, 2024" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
^ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Dena M. Coggins to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of California)". United States Senate. May 22, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Dena M. Coggins, of California, to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of California)". United States Senate. May 22, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
^ Dena M. Coggins at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
^ Sheeler, Andrew (May 27, 2024). "Senate confirms Joe Biden's historic pick for Sacramento-area federal judgeship". sacbee.com. Retrieved August 23, 2024.