Sharon L. Gleason
Encyclopedia
Sharon L. Gleason is an Alaska
judge who has been confirmed to serve as a judge of the United States District Court for the District of Alaska
. The United States Senate confirmed Gleason in an 87–8 vote on November 15, 2011. She has not yet received her judicial commission.
. She earned a law degree in 1983 from UC Davis School of Law
.
Gleason worked from 1983 until 1984 as a law clerk to then-Chief Justice Edmond Burke of the Alaska Supreme Court
. She became a member of the Alaska state bar in 1984.
. She then was retained by Alaska voters in 2004 and 2010 and currently serves as the presiding judge for the Superior Court's Third Judicial District in Anchorage
.
taking senior status
in March 2011. The nomination occurred on the recommendation of U.S. Sen. Mark Begich
. On September 8, 2011, the Senate Judiciary Committee
reported her nomination to the Senate floor by voice vote.
The United States Senate confirmed Gleason in an 87–8 vote on November 15, 2011. She has not yet received her judicial commission.
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
judge who has been confirmed to serve as a judge of the United States District Court for the District of Alaska
United States District Court for the District of Alaska
The United States District Court for the District of Alaska is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Alaska. Offices are located in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Nome...
. The United States Senate confirmed Gleason in an 87–8 vote on November 15, 2011. She has not yet received her judicial commission.
Early life and education
Gleason earned a bachelor's degree in 1979 from Washington University in St. LouisWashington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
. She earned a law degree in 1983 from UC Davis School of Law
UC Davis School of Law
The University of California Davis School of Law , referred to as UC Davis School of Law and commonly known as King Hall and UC Davis Law, is an American Bar Association approved law school located in Davis, California on the campus of the University of California, Davis. The school received ABA...
.
Gleason worked from 1983 until 1984 as a law clerk to then-Chief Justice Edmond Burke of the Alaska Supreme Court
Alaska Supreme Court
The Alaska Supreme Court is the state supreme court in the State of Alaska's judicial department . The supreme court is composed of the chief justice and four associate justices, who are all appointed by the governor of Alaska and face judicial retention elections and who choose one of their own...
. She became a member of the Alaska state bar in 1984.
Professional career
From 1984 until 1995, Gleason worked at the law firm Reese, Rice and Volland in Alaska. She then served as a sole legal practitioner from 1995 until 2001, when she was appointed to the Alaska Superior CourtAlaska Court System
The Alaska Court System is the unified, centrally administered, and totally state-funded judicial system for the State of Alaska. It has four levels of state courts: the Alaska Supreme Court, the Alaska Court of Appeals, the Alaska Superior Court, and the Alaska District Court...
. She then was retained by Alaska voters in 2004 and 2010 and currently serves as the presiding judge for the Superior Court's Third Judicial District in Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
.
Nomination to federal district court
On April 6, 2011, President Obama nominated Gleason to the United States District Court for the District of Alaska to a vacancy that had been created by Judge John W. SedwickJohn W. Sedwick
John W. Sedwick is an American lawyer and judge. He is currently a judge on the United States District Court for the District of Alaska....
taking senior status
Senior status
Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges, and judges in some state court systems. After federal judges have reached a certain combination of age and years of service on the federal courts, they are allowed to assume senior status...
in March 2011. The nomination occurred on the recommendation of U.S. Sen. Mark Begich
Mark Begich
Mark Peter Begich is the junior United States Senator from Alaska and a member of the Democratic Party. A former mayor of Anchorage, he served on the Anchorage Assembly for almost ten years prior to being elected mayor in 2003...
. On September 8, 2011, the Senate Judiciary Committee
United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary is a standing committee of the United States Senate, of the United States Congress. The Judiciary Committee, with 18 members, is charged with conducting hearings prior to the Senate votes on confirmation of federal judges nominated by the...
reported her nomination to the Senate floor by voice vote.
The United States Senate confirmed Gleason in an 87–8 vote on November 15, 2011. She has not yet received her judicial commission.