Allyson Kay Duncan
Encyclopedia
Allyson Kay Duncan is a federal judge
on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
. She is the Fourth Circuit's first female African American
judge.
from Hampton University
in 1972 and a JD
from Duke University School of Law
in 1975. She was an associate editor at the Lawyers Co-Operative Publishing Company from 1976 to 1977. Duncan then served for one year as a law clerk to Judge Julia Cooper Mack of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals
from 1977 to 1978.
In 1978, Duncan joined the staff of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
. By the time she left in 1986 she had served in a variety of important posts at the Commission: Appellate Attorney, Assistant to the Deputy General Counsel, Assistant to the Chairman, Acting Associate Legal Counsel, and Acting Legal Counsel. At one point, the then-head of the EEOC, Clarence Thomas
, promoted Duncan as his chief of staff over another candidate, Anita Hill
.
At North Carolina Central University
School of Law, Duncan served as an associate professor from 1986 to 1990, teaching Property Law
, Appellate Advocacy, and Employment Discrimination. In 1990, she served briefly on the North Carolina Court of Appeals
as an Associate Judge. She was appointed by Gov. James G. Martin
to replace Charles Becton
but lost the following election to James A. Wynn.
Duncan was appointed a Commissioner of the North Carolina Utilities Commission in 1991 and remained in that post until 1998, when she joined the Raleigh
office of Kilpatrick Stockton as a partner. She worked there until her appointment to the federal bench. Duncan became the first African American president of the North Carolina Bar Association in 2003.
to fill a vacancy on the Fourth Circuit created by Judge Samuel J. Ervin III, who died on September 18, 1999. A Republican, Duncan was supported by both Senators Elizabeth Dole
and John Edwards
-- a departure from the trend toward partisan controversy over North Carolina appointments to the Fourth Circuit court. Bill Clinton
previously had nominated Professor S. Elizabeth Gibson
to the seat late in his presidency, but Gibson never received a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing or vote before his presidency ended. The U.S. Senate confirmed Duncan by a vote of 93-0 on July 17, 2003, and she received her commission on August 15, 2003. She was the third judge nominated to the Fourth Circuit by Bush and confirmed by the United States Senate
.
United States federal judge
In the United States, the title of federal judge usually means a judge appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate in accordance with Article II of the United States Constitution....
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...
. She is the Fourth Circuit's first female African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
judge.
Background
Duncan received a BABachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Hampton University
Hampton University
Hampton University is a historically black university located in Hampton, Virginia, United States. It was founded by black and white leaders of the American Missionary Association after the American Civil War to provide education to freedmen.-History:...
in 1972 and a JD
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from Duke University School of Law
Duke University School of Law
The Duke University School of Law is the law school and a constituent academic unit of Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States. One of Duke's 10 schools and colleges, the School of Law began as the Trinity College School of Law in 1868. In 1924, following the renaming of Trinity...
in 1975. She was an associate editor at the Lawyers Co-Operative Publishing Company from 1976 to 1977. Duncan then served for one year as a law clerk to Judge Julia Cooper Mack of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals
District of Columbia Court of Appeals
The District of Columbia Court of Appeals is the highest court of the District of Columbia. Established by the United States Congress in 1970, it is equivalent to a state supreme court, except that its power derives from Article I of the U.S. Constitution rather than from the inherent sovereignty...
from 1977 to 1978.
In 1978, Duncan joined the staff of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is an independent federal law enforcement agency that enforces laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination complaints based on an individual's race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, perceived intelligence,...
. By the time she left in 1986 she had served in a variety of important posts at the Commission: Appellate Attorney, Assistant to the Deputy General Counsel, Assistant to the Chairman, Acting Associate Legal Counsel, and Acting Legal Counsel. At one point, the then-head of the EEOC, Clarence Thomas
Clarence Thomas
Clarence Thomas is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Succeeding Thurgood Marshall, Thomas is the second African American to serve on the Court....
, promoted Duncan as his chief of staff over another candidate, Anita Hill
Anita Hill
Anita Faye Hill is an American attorney and academic—presently a professor of social policy, law and women's studies at Brandeis University's Heller School for Social Policy and Management. She became a national figure in 1991 when she alleged that U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas had...
.
At North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University is a public historically black university in the University of North Carolina system, located in Durham, North Carolina, offering programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, professional and doctoral levels....
School of Law, Duncan served as an associate professor from 1986 to 1990, teaching Property Law
Property law
Property law is the area of law that governs the various forms of ownership in real property and in personal property, within the common law legal system. In the civil law system, there is a division between movable and immovable property...
, Appellate Advocacy, and Employment Discrimination. In 1990, she served briefly on the North Carolina Court of Appeals
North Carolina Court of Appeals
The North Carolina Court of Appeals is the only intermediate appellate court in the state of North Carolina. It is composed of fifteen members who sit in rotating groups of three...
as an Associate Judge. She was appointed by Gov. James G. Martin
James G. Martin
James Grubbs "Jim" Martin is the 70th Governor of the state of North Carolina. He served from 1985 to 1993. He was the second Republican elected to the office after Reconstruction, and the fifth overall. He is also the only Republican to serve two full terms as governor.-Early Life &...
to replace Charles Becton
Charles Becton
Charles L. Becton is an attorney, former judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals, and as of 2008, president of the North Carolina Bar Association. Becton is the first A African-American to hold the post)....
but lost the following election to James A. Wynn.
Duncan was appointed a Commissioner of the North Carolina Utilities Commission in 1991 and remained in that post until 1998, when she joined the Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
office of Kilpatrick Stockton as a partner. She worked there until her appointment to the federal bench. Duncan became the first African American president of the North Carolina Bar Association in 2003.
Fourth Circuit nomination and confirmation
Duncan was nominated on April 28, 2003 by President George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
to fill a vacancy on the Fourth Circuit created by Judge Samuel J. Ervin III, who died on September 18, 1999. A Republican, Duncan was supported by both Senators Elizabeth Dole
Elizabeth Dole
Mary Elizabeth Alexander Hanford "Liddy" Dole is an American politician who served in both the Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush presidential administrations, as well as a United States Senator....
and John Edwards
John Edwards
Johnny Reid "John" Edwards is an American politician, who served as a U.S. Senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004, and was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008.He defeated incumbent Republican Lauch Faircloth in...
-- a departure from the trend toward partisan controversy over North Carolina appointments to the Fourth Circuit court. Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
previously had nominated Professor S. Elizabeth Gibson
S. Elizabeth Gibson
S. Elizabeth Gibson is a law professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law and a former federal judicial nominee to the U.S...
to the seat late in his presidency, but Gibson never received a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing or vote before his presidency ended. The U.S. Senate confirmed Duncan by a vote of 93-0 on July 17, 2003, and she received her commission on August 15, 2003. She was the third judge nominated to the Fourth Circuit by Bush and confirmed by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
.