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Jill Otake

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Jill Otake
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii
Assumed office
August 3, 2018
Appointed byDonald Trump
Preceded bySusan Oki Mollway
Personal details
Born
Jill Aiko Otake

(1973-10-03) October 3, 1973 (age 51)
Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
EducationGeorgetown University (BS)
University of Washington (JD)

Jill Aiko Otake (born October 3, 1973) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii.

Biography

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Jill Otake was born on October 3, 1973, in Honolulu.[citation needed] She graduated from the ʻIolani School and earned a Bachelor of Science, cum laude, from Georgetown University, where she majored in the Russian language. Otake received her Juris Doctor from the University of Washington School of Law in 1998[1] and was selected for the Order of Barristers.[2]

After graduating from law school, Otake clerked for Associate Justice Simeon R. Acoba Jr. of the Hawaii Supreme Court. She worked for five years as a deputy prosecuting attorney in King County, Washington. Otake then spent nine years as a supervisor and as an assistant United States attorney for the Western District of Washington.[2]

Immediately before becoming a judge, Otake was Special Counsel to the United States Attorney and Acting Chief of the Special Crime section as an assistant United States attorney for the District of Hawaii. She was deputy chief of that office from 2014 to 2018.[2]

Otake is a recipient of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Certificate of Recognition, Internal Revenue Service Excellence Award, and numerous U.S. Department of Justice Performance Awards. Otake was an instructor for the inaugural Hawaii Federal Trial Academy, sponsored by the Federal Bar Association and the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii.[3]

Otake is co-chair of the Hawaii State Bar Association's Professionalism and Risk Management Committee and was also a volunteer attorney for Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii. She is also a mentor for Hawaii women lawyers. Otake has taught trial advocacy at Seattle University Law School; served as co-president of the Asian Bar Association of Washington; and served on the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii's Chief Probation Officer Selection Committee. She was a fellow of the 2016 Hawaii State Bar Association's Leadership Institute.[3] She currently serves on the 'Iolani School Board of Governors.[4]

Federal judicial service

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Judge Jill A. Otake is honored in the Aloha Tradition after taking the oath of office.

On December 20, 2017, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Otake to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii.[2] Otake was recommended to the White House by U.S. Senators Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz.[5][6] On December 21, 2017, her nomination was sent to the United States Senate. She was nominated to the seat vacated by Judge Susan Oki Mollway, who assumed senior status on November 6, 2015. The American Bar Association's Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary rated Otake unanimously "Well Qualified."[7][8] On March 7, 2018, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[9] On April 12, 2018, her nomination was reported out of committee by voice vote.[10] On August 1, 2018, the Senate confirmed her nomination by a voice vote.[11] She received her judicial commission on August 3, 2018.[1]

Personal life

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Otake's younger brother is Thomas "Tommy" Otake, a defense attorney practicing in Hawaii.[12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Jill Otake at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  2. ^ a b c d " President Donald J. Trump Announces Ninth Wave of Judicial Nominees and Tenth Wave of United States Attorney Nominees " White House, December 20, 2017 Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ a b Schuster, Brett (December 20, 2017). "NAPABA Applauds Nomination of Jill Otake to the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii". National Asian Pacific American Bar Association. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  4. ^ "Board of Governors - 'Iolani School". www.iolani.org. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  5. ^ "Former attorney general, prosecutors nominated for federal judge" Honolulu Star-Advertiser, June 16, 2015
  6. ^ "Hirono & Schatz Announce Nomination of Jill Otake to U.S. District Court". December 20, 2017.
  7. ^ "STANDING COMMITTEE ON THE FEDERAL JUDICIARY : RATINGS OF ARTICLE III AND ARTICLE IV JUDICIAL NOMINEES" (PDF). American Bar Association. December 13, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  8. ^ "Four Nominations Sent to the Senate Today" White House, December 21, 2017
  9. ^ United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Nominations for March 7, 2018
  10. ^ Results of Executive Business Meeting – April 12, 2018, Senate Judiciary Committee
  11. ^ "PN1338 — Jill Aiko Otake — The Judiciary". United States Senate. December 21, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  12. ^ "Trump nominates Jill Otake as federal judge in Hawaii". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. December 21, 2017.
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Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii
2018–present
Incumbent