--- title: "Alison Julie Nathan | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/alison-julie-nathan" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-09" --- # Alison Julie Nathan U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit · U.S. Circuit Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit - State: National federal courts - Role: U.S. Circuit Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-25 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - American judge currently serving as a United States Circuit Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit since March 30, 2022 - Judge, District Court, S.D. New York, 2011-present - U.S. District Judge, Southern District of New York (SDNY) from October 17, 2011, to March 31, 2022, appointed by President Barack Obama - Fritz Alexander Fellow at NYU School of Law (2008–2009); adjunct professor at NYU and Cornell Law Schools - Academic roles: Visiting Assistant Professor of Law at Fordham University School of Law (2006–2008) - Private practice at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP in Washington, D.C. and New York (2002–2006) - Law clerk, Hon. John Paul Stevens, Supreme Court of the United States, 2001-2002 - Law clerk for Justice John Paul Stevens (U.S. Supreme Court) (2001–2002) - Law clerk, Hon. Betty B. Fletcher, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 2000-2001 - Law clerk for Judge Betty B. Fletcher (9th Circuit) (2000–2001) ### Education - magna cum laude, Cornell Law School — J.D. (2000) - in Philosophy and Japanese, Cornell University — B.A. (1994) ### Additional information - Confirmed by Senate: March 23, 2022 (49–47 vote) - Special counsel to the solicitor general, State of New York, 2010-2011 - Associate White House counsel and special assistant to President Barack Obama, 2009-2010 - Fritz Alexander fellow, New York University School of Law, 2008-2009 - Private practice, New York City, 2005-2006 - Private practice, Washington, D.C., 2002-2005 - Taught English in Japan (1994–1995) and edited an English-language newspaper in Bangkok (1995–1996). - Born June 18, 1972, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. - Date of birth: 1972-01-01 - Recognized for her work in federal appellate and district court cases, her role in high-profile government legal work, and her contributions to legal academia. - Predecessor: Rosemary S. Pooler - held the role of Chair of the SDNY Security Committee and on the SDNY Grievance Committee. - Birth place: Philadelphia, PA ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### appellate oral argument Scope: courtwide In federal courts of appeals, oral argument is allowed unless a three-judge panel unanimously finds one of Rule 34's specified grounds for dispensing with it; the clerk provides the date, time, place, and time allocation. Evidence excerpt: Oral argument must be allowed in every case unless a panel of three judges who have examined the briefs and record unanimously agrees that oral argument is unnecessary [Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 34, Oral Argument](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-appellate-procedure) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393801) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393801) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393801) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2374/alison-julie-nathan/) - [Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 34, Oral Argument](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-appellate-procedure) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2374/alison-julie-nathan/) - [Wikidata: Alison J. Nathan](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4727100) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/alison-julie-nathan", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/alison-julie-nathan", "name": "Alison Julie Nathan | KnowJudges", "description": "Alison Julie Nathan, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. 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