NCJW supports Justice Maria Araújo Kahn. Here’s why:
Justice Maria Araújo Kahn was born in Benguela, Angola, and immigrated to the United States at the age of ten with her family to escape civil war. She is a former federal prosecutor and public defender who currently serves as an Associate Justice on the Connecticut Supreme Court. Ed Joyce, President of the Fordham Law Alumni Association Board of Directors commented that “Justice Kahn’s life story is the epitome of the American Dream. For more than 30 years, she has dedicated herself to the greater good by serving others as a public defender, an advocate for individuals with disabilities, a prosecutor, and a jurist.” Her background and lived experience would bring a critical vantage point to the Second Circuit, a bench that is overwhelmingly white and male.
Justice Maria Araújo Kahn’s stance on important issues:
Civil Rights:
Justice Kahn was a staff attorney at the Connecticut Office of Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Disabilities and a deputy assistant public defender in the Division of Public Defender Services.During her time as a public defender, Justice Kahn represented indigent children in delinquency proceedings. As a staff attorney in the Office of Protection and Advocacy, Justice Kahn litigated civil rights cases on behalf of individuals with disabilities.
Judicial Temperament:
Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) stated that “…A role model for other judges across Connecticut, Justice Kahn is an inspiration that represents the best of our state. As a member of the Judiciary Committee, I look forward to championing and supporting her nomination.” And Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) said, “Justice Kahn is among Connecticut’s most respected jurists. Having spent the last five years on the state Supreme Court and a lifetime committed to fair and equal justice, she is eminently qualified to serve on the Second Circuit. I look forward to her confirmation.”
Experience and Pro Bono Work:
After graduating from law school, Justice Kahn clerked for Judge Peter C. Dorsey on the US
District Court for the District Court of Connecticut. After her clerkship, from 1991-1993, Justice Kahn was a Deputy Public Defender. From 1993-1997, Justice Kahn worked as a staff attorney at the Connecticut Office of Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Disabilities. She went on to serve as an Assistant US Attorney, investigating and prosecuting complex civil and criminal white collar financial fraud cases. Justice Kahn then served as a judge of the Appellate Court and as a judge of the Superior Court, where she primarily heard criminal matters. While on the Superior Court, she was a member of the Sentence Review Division as well as an adjunct professor at Quinnipiac University’s School of Law.
Education and Awards:
Justice Kahn received her BA, cum laude, from New York University in 1986 and her JD from Fordham Law School in 1989. While at Fordham, Justice Kahn was the first recipient of the Noreen E. McNamara Memorial Endowed Scholarship. She also received the Department of Justice Special Achievement Awards from 1998-2006, and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and Integrity Awards. Justice Kahn was awarded the Americo Ventura Lifetime Achievement Award by the Portuguese Bar Association in 2017.
Professional Affiliations:
Since 2008, Justice Kahn has co-chaired Connecticut’s Limited English Proficiency Commission, which assists in creating and implementing a plan for enhanced interpreter and translation services in the courts and online. Justice Kahn also co-chairs the Judicial Branch’s Access to Justice Commission, training judges, judicial branch staff, law schools, and bar associations in Connecticut and other states on implicit bias and cultural competency. She serves on the Advisory Council of The Portuguese American Leadership Council of the United States. Justice Kahn has taught several courses at the Connecticut Judges’ Institute and is a James W. Cooper Fellow with the Connecticut Bar Foundation.