Robin M. Meriweather

Robin Michelle Meriweather (born 1974) is an American lawyer who has served as a United States magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia since 2017. She is the designate to serve as a judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims.

Education
Meriweather received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan in 1995 and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 1998.

Career
From 1998 to 1999, Meriweather served as a law clerk for Judge Merrick Garland of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. From 1999 to 2007, she worked in private practice as an associate at Jenner & Block in their Washington, D.C. office. From 2007 to 2017, she served as an assistant United States attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, including as the deputy chief of the Civil Division in that office from 2011 to 2017. She has served as a United States magistrate judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia since January 10, 2017.

Nomination to court of federal claims
On December 19, 2023, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Meriweather to serve as a judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims. On January 10, 2024, her nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Meriweather to the seat vacated by Judge Patricia E. Campbell-Smith, who retired on September 30, 2023. On January 24, 2024, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee. During her confirmation hearing, she was questioned by Republican senators over her record and prior experience as a magistrate judge on the D.C. district court. She was asked about her decision to grant a 21-day release motion for a defendant in a child pornography case so that he could seek cancer treatment. Her decision was reversed by the D.C. Circuit. On February 29, 2024, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–9 vote. On July 9, 2024, the United States Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 53–42 vote. On July 11, 2024, her nomination was confirmed by a 52–39 vote. She is awaiting her judicial commission.